Only fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good! The Lord looks down from heaven on the entire human race; he looks to see if anyone is truly wise, if anyone seeks God. But no, all have turned away; all have become corrupt. No one does good, not a single one! Will those who do evil never learn? They eat up my people like bread and wouldn’t think of praying to the Lord. Terror will grip them, for God is with those who obey him. The wicked frustrate the plans of the oppressed, but the Lord will protect his people. Who will come from Mount Zion to rescue Israel? When the Lord restores his people, Jacob will shout with joy, and Israel will rejoice.
Psalms 14:1-7 NLT
There are those who say, “There is no God.” It may come from pain in their past, horror at human atrocities, the sorrow of natural disasters, or mental hurdles too high to overcome If God is good, many people ask, why is there so much evil in the world?
Most pain is caused by humans. Bad decisions, selfishness, and greed are all constant in human history. Wars and atrocities are committed by corrupt leaders and allowed by the apathy of others. Mental hurdles can be overcome if one is willing to have hard conversations. Even natural disasters, according to the Bible (Romans 8:19ff) come from the fact that the earth is broken – this happened because of human sin. If we want to question the source of so much pain, we should be questioning our faith in human nature.
Jesus came and offered the solution…though it may not be the solution humans want. He didn’t destroy all who do evil (no one would be left). Instead, He allowed unjust religious and political leaders to crucify Him. Few people understood Him, and one of His closest friends betrayed Him. Jesus allowed Himself to be broken by the world. This was the plan to save the world. We find forgiveness in Him alone, and the first step is to admit that you are the problem. What do you need to repent of today?
The other part of God’s plan includes taking up your own cross – which means death to your desires (replaced by His desires) and living broken (yet remade) in a world of selfishness and evil. Christians don’t destroy our enemies – we die for our enemies in hope they will no longer be enemies. We fight on our knees, and we fight with love. This is the only solution to evil, and it starts in each human heart. Are you willing to follow God’s plan to save the world?
