Theology shapes the way we think about, view, and respond to God.  Take this example…

God loves you.

How you respond to that truth shapes how you view God, and your relationship with Him.

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I recently had a conversation with a co-worker in which she told me multiple terrible stories about pain and death in her family and in her life.  She is hurting…badly.  And her question is: “Why would God do this?” 

My response is that He’s not doing this…and / because He loves you. 

So you can see how bad (wrong / poor) theology can shape how you view God.  My hurting co-worker is now blaming God for all of her pain, simply because she believes that God would do bad things, and she doesn’t understand His love for her.  

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All throughout the Scriptures we see that God loves us, and that we should not fear, because of His  loves for us.  We read about how God’s desire is to get us back into a  relationship with Him, and that God will make all things good for those that love Him.

So, the question is: “If God loves me so much, then why does He do bad things to me?”  

He’s not.

Except for cases of punishment, we don’t see God doing bad in the Bible.  In the Old Testament we see that God punishes people and people groups for their sin.  He held out for as long as he could, but He did punish them.   For their sin.  Sin that originated from Satan, and from us.  So, God sent Jesus to ultimately pay for our sin.  I only know of only 1 instance in the New Testament where God punishes someone for their sin.  (Ananias and Sapphira) 

We do see that God allows bad things to happen though.  Look at Job.  Satan did the evil.  Look at Joseph.  God didn’t sell him into slavery, or put him in prison.  People did.  Their selfishness and sin created Joseph’s situation.  But, God redeemed it.  God takes Joseph’s situation, and turns it around for His good.  So, Satan, with our help, does evil.  But God, redeems and creates beauty. 

So you can see how your understanding of Gods love for you directly affects how you view the situations that you are in.  My co-workers’ family members are paying for their sin.  Their alcoholism, their drug abuse.  Their death is a result of their choices. 

Not God’s. 

You might even believe that because God “loves” us, he does bad things to us to teach us a lesson.  I would argue that you should examine love.  I love my wife SO much.  I would never purposefully do ANYTHING negative to her to “teach her a lesson”.  With love comes guidance, and gentle correction.  Not intentional pain.

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“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

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I heard someone say that they think that God created bad things so that we could recognize and appreciate His good things. 

If you were an artist, would you intentionally make bad art so that people would recognize your good art? No, you only strive for the best, and you throw out all of sub-par art.

Lucky for us, our Artist does not and cannot make bad art.