By Eddie Capparucci, LPC, C-CSAS, CPCS

“Why does God allow bad things to happen?”  We have all heard someone ask this question and perhaps we have asked the question ourselves. Many great theologians, academic scholars, and philosophers have spent years pondering this thought but have fallen short of providing an answer that brings ultimate comfort to people.

In part because the answers provided are ones we do not want to hear. Humans desire comfort. And when something is out of place in our world it becomes the center of our focus. We struggle to handle any kind of pain.

One of the most committed Christians I know, Tom Moucka, president of the Samson Society, an organization dedicated to helping men overcome sexual and pornography addictions, publishes a devotional 365 days a year. His words and insights have been some of the most profound I have ever read. Recently, he wrote a devotional about 2 Thessalonians 1: 5-10.

“God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you because you believed our testimony to you.”

Reading these verses made me think of the answer I provide my clients when asked “why does God allow bad things to happen.”

I tell them, “tomorrow is coming.” I say this because, in the Scripture above, Paul clearly informs us there is a day of reckoning for those who turn away from Jesus Christ and His teachings. And there is a day of recovery and restoration for those who have suffered at their hands.

Tomorrow is coming.

There is no escape from residing in a Fallen World where Satan is prince. “Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”  Rev. 12:12

I understand the promise of an eternal life spent in the presence of our creator does not answer the question “why does God allow bad things to happen”. That question may be answered when we meet Him face-to-face. Or perhaps, at that point, we will not need to know the answer.

For now, the solution to our pain points is three-fold.

1. Gratitude. This is a virtue that many of us lack – myself included. We focus too much on what is wrong or what we lack, and we lose sight of our blessings. If you find it difficult to identify things to be grateful for, then you are probably not focusing hard enough. Gratitude is the antidote for despair and worry.

2. He is in Control. We often find this statement difficult to believe when tragedy strikes, or we see the chaos surrounding us in the world today. People often ask, “what is God doing” when they see what they perceive to be His inaction. Well, God already has done something, He has provided us an opportunity for eternal life – an opportunity none of us deserve. Just because we do not see – what we believe is God at work in our lives – does not mean He is silent.

“Our God shall come and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.” Psalm 50:33.

3. Tomorrow is coming. While events in our lives may be troubling to us at the moment, perhaps it brings peace to understand whatever distresses you will endure during the short time here in this world, God has eternity to make it up to you.

Eddie Capparucci is a Christian therapist and licensed by the State of Georgia. He is certified in the treatment of sexual and pornography addiction and he and his wife, Teri, have a private practice working with men struggling with sexual and pornography addictions, as well as their wives who are dealing with betrayal.

Among his many clients, Eddie has worked with professional athletes including NFL and MLB players and television personalities.

He is the creator of the Inner Child Recovery Process (ICRP) for the treatment of Sexual and Pornography addiction. This unique treatment method helps individuals get to the root issues of their addiction and provides them with the tools and insight to manage the disorder. It has been endorsed by many leaders in the sex addiction field. The Inner Child Recovery Process is the subject of his new book, Going Deeper: How the Inner Child Impacts Your Sexual Addiction.

Eddie is the clinical director of the National Decency Coalition, and the administrator of the websites http://www.MenAgainstPorn.org and http://www.SexuallyPureMen.com.

Over the years, he has spoken to numerous organizations regarding the harmful impact pornography has on individuals, relationships, and society. He is the host of a monthly webcast entitled: Getting to the Other Side. Eddie also is the author of Removing Your Shame Label: Learning to Break Free of Shame and Feel God’s Love.