When the Blame Falls on God – But It Shouldn’t Untangling the Truth About Free Will, Suffering, and Who God Really Is

When the Blame Falls on God – But It Shouldn’t
Untangling the Truth About Free Will, Suffering, and Who God Really Is

There’s a phrase I’ve heard more times than I can count: 
“If God is good, then why did He let this happen?”

Behind that question is more than anger—it’s pain, confusion, and a soul trying to find steady ground in the middle of grief. When tragedy hits—when loss cuts deep, when injustice blindsides us, or when we witness a heartbreak too heavy to hold—the temptation is to look upward and demand an answer.

But what if the problem isn’t with God? What if the problem is with what people have been taught about Him?

The Misunderstanding of Predestination

There’s a widely held belief in certain circles that everything—every tragedy, every illness, every death—is predestined by God. That He’s orchestrating it all like a script, down to every painful detail. And if that’s what someone believes, then when something awful happens, God is naturally the one to blame.

But Scripture tells a different story.

While it’s true that God has purposes that will not fail—and that He works all things together for good for those who love Him—that doesn’t mean He causes all things. There’s a vast difference between a God who redeems brokenness and a god who scripts it.

Ecclesiastes 9:11 says it plainly:
“Time and unforeseen occurrence befall them all.”

Not everything is planned. Not everything is fair.
Some things are just… the result of living in a fallen world with fragile bodies and flawed people.

If God were controlling every moment like a puppet master, there would be no room for free will—no room for love freely chosen or obedience offered with sincerity. But that’s not how God works. He doesn’t override. He invites.

The Gift—and Cost—of Free Will

Free will is one of the most beautiful and terrifying gifts God ever gave us.

With it comes the ability to choose good—and also the ability to choose evil. It means we can run into the arms of our Father—or away from them. We can love, build, protect… or destroy.

God didn’t make robots.
He made image-bearers—humans designed for relationship, responsibility, and reverence. But in honoring that design, He allows choice. And choice always carries risk.

Some tragedies occur because of human error.
Some because of natural chaos.
Some because we live in a world still groaning for full redemption.

But none of them are authored by a cruel or detached God.
He is not a cosmic chess master.
He is a Father—and sometimes a weeping one.

When Tragedy Strikes—Where Is God?

The better question isn’t “Why did God let this happen?”
It’s “Where was God when it did?”

And the answer? He was there.

He was in the father who shouted “swim” with his last breath.
He was in the strength that pulled a son to shore.
He was in the sunrise after a freezing night on the bank.
He was in the grief too profound for words.

God was not the cause—but He is the Companion.
The Comforter.
The One who redeems what was never His will in the first place.

Why Accurate Knowledge Matters

I believe in the accurate knowledge of truth
Because when we know who God really is, the puzzle pieces start to fit.
The picture becomes clear—not always easy, but clear.

And that clarity? It protects the heart from misdirected pain.
It draws us into trust instead of fear, comfort instead of blame.

Misinformation about God is more dangerous than suffering itself.
Because suffering is bearable when you believe God is with you.
But when you believe He caused it?
That can poison the well of faith entirely.

Truth brings peace—not because it explains everything, but because it reveals the heart of the One who walks with us through everything.

The Truth We Must Return To

If you’ve blamed God in the past—please know: He understands. He’s not angry. He’s not offended. But He does long for you to see Him rightly.

“Blame may feel like control, but it won’t bring comfort. Truth does.”

And the truth is this:

God is not the cause of your suffering—He is the companion in it.
As James 4:8 reminds us, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”
He doesn’t force Himself into our pain—but the moment we open the door, He enters with comfort, peace, and presence.

He is not absent. He is not apathetic.
He is the God who came near.
And He is still near—even here.