Lately, I've been thinking—hard. Some things have happened, things that cut deep. And I can't shake the question: Why do bad things happen to good people?
It's one of the hardest, rawest, most gut-wrenching questions we ask. I've lost people I loved—too many. Some I was so close to, some I just knew casually, but the thing they had in common was that they took their own lives. One friend, a phenomenal guitar player named Matt Sluder, who I played with for years, had played for years before joining me with Allman Brothers guitarist Warren Haynes. Matt died too soon. After half a life of using his guitar and fingers to make a living, he couldn't play anymore because of debilitating pain—arthritis stole his gift, passion, and career. So, in his 40s, he ended his life. With a gun, no less. A violent and tragic end that left his sons without a father and his wife without a husband.
Other friends of mine have lost their battle with depression, addiction, sickness, and despair. I wish I could have stepped in to stop or halt the finality of their decisions. But at those times in my life, my convictions and faith in Christ weren't strong enough to teach me to be a servant to those in need.
And so death—it separates us. It has happened to me. To you. To all of us. And if it hasn't happened to you yet, it will. Parents, siblings, children, friends—no one is untouched.
But Jesus didn't leave us in the dark. He told us the truth:
"In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)
Suffering is inevitable, but so is hope.
Some say life is random, meaningless, and without ultimate justice. But I ask—what, then, anchors your morality? What makes anything right or wrong?
I don't know what battles you're fighting today—physical, mental, spiritual.
But I know this: Human reasoning won't heal a broken heart. Nice words won't put someone in heaven if they take their own life. We lie to ourselves at funerals, saying things we wish were true. But truth matters. Eternity matters.
And the truth is this: Redemption is real. Restoration is real.
But they are only found in Christ.
If you're struggling, reach out—to me, to family, to a pastor, to a friend, to a counselor. Don't suffer in silence. Please don't wait until it's too late. Open a Bible. Let it speak. It will help—I promise.
Because in our grief, our loneliness, our loss, we reach for anything to dull the pain—drugs, alcohol, entertainment, distractions. But hear me: Nothing fills the void as God does. Nothing.
Suffering can refine and strengthen believers:
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance." (James 1:2-3)
"Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope." (Romans 5:3-4)
God can use suffering for discipline and correction (Hebrews 12:6-11), to reveal His power (John 9:1-3), or to fulfill His greater purposes (Genesis 50:20).
If anyone was absolutely innocent, it was Jesus Christ—yet He endured the most unimaginable suffering, including betrayal, torture, and crucifixion. His suffering was not pointless but served to redeem humanity (Isaiah 53:3-5).
Then, there's the mystery of God's sovereignty.
The story of Job provides a solid biblical example of a righteous man who suffered greatly. Job never received a full explanation for his suffering, but he ultimately trusted God's wisdom:
"Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand." (Job 38:4)
God's ways are beyond human comprehension (Isaiah 55:8-9), and sometimes, no matter what we say, do, or think, suffering remains a mystery on this side of eternity.
But there will be future restoration and ultimate justice.
"For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all." (2 Corinthians 4:17)
Ultimately, God will set all things right. Revelation 21:4 promises:
"He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
The Bible does not always answer why specific people suffer, but it provides the foundation for understanding suffering in light of God's justice, sovereignty, and redemptive plan. Suffering is real, but it is not without meaning, and through Christ, God has promised that it will one day be undone.
Our human reasoning has its place—it's a gift. But without God's revelation, reason alone collapses in on itself. Without Christ, it's incomplete. As Proverbs 3:5-6 says:
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths."
Meanwhile, so many today are deceived by the trappings of the world, the varying spiritual philosophies, the unbelief disguised as belief. It's hard to know right and wrong when you give in to the secular world and the rampant unbiblical ideologies. The deception causes many to turn from the church and accept the post-modern moral relativism—that right and wrong are up to us. But when suffering hits, when injustice strikes, when death comes too soon, or when suicide enters the picture…that empty philosophy crumbles.
The answers are in the Bible and Christianity. The objective biblical truth is this: God alone has authority over life and death. Life is sacred. Suicide is not the answer. I say this not to condemn but to plead with hurting people—reach out. Speak up. If someone you love is struggling, be there. Listen. Ask hard questions. Love them fiercely.
Psalm 34:18 – "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit."
Even in deep sorrow, God is close and willing to heal.
2 Corinthians 4:8-9 – "We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed."
Despair is real, but with Christ, we are never without hope.
So, let's choose life—real life, eternal life—because in Christ, there is hope—always.
May you be filled with the peace of God that surpasses all understanding.
Dallas Reese
Hilton Head Island South Carolina
February 5 2025
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