What Gives?

Why Doesn't God, or the Universe, Intervene?

Jun 15, 2026

Today I did something that I don’t normally do. I took the day off. It was a blast, and I feel refreshed. As I ended my day, I opened YouTube and saw a quick clip from Steven Bartlett, asking a question that made me stop and think.

If God Is Real, Why Don’t They Intervene In Our Lives?

For one, it caught me off guard, because it’s a clearer version of a common criticism I’ve heard: If God is real, why do so many bad things happen? If God (or the universe if you believe in that) created everyone in their image, how did he create those who commit awful things? Why do war, famine, and corruption exist? It’s one I’ve heard a lot since I found my faith again, and it’s one I’ve thought about a lot. As I’ve thought about, I’ve come to the conclusion that the average answer may be missing the point.

Not trying to start fights here, but the number of times that I’ve heard fallacies, unfalsifiable claims, and vagueness connected to this question is honestly surprising. Every time I see a video about where people answer this question, I feel like I always want more. Maybe it’s because the questions are unscripted or the answerer doesn’t have an answer and doesn’t want to admit it, but every answer leaves me…disatisfied.

So…for the first time in my life, I want to stick my neck out there and give three potential answers that I think provide some clarity here.

Three Possible Answers

One thing I want to clarify here: I don’t have all the answers, which is why I’m only offering these as potential answers. That being said, I believe they have merit. Starting with answer one.

Agency Over Everything…

This was the classic answer to the question that I heard my whole young adult life, and it makes intuitive sense. The reason God or the universe “doesn’t intervene” is because each of us has been engineered with a special gift: free will.

You and I are not plants; we’re not rocks or snowflakes. We have the ability to act to change our own futures, for better or for worse. In other words, if some all-powerful force intervened in everything you did in life, you wouldn’t be choosing for yourself. That would violate your natural given rights, and so the Almighty doesn’t intervene. If this answer is true, then that agency is sacrosanct, even if those gifted with it choose to do destructive things instead of constructive ones. Then again, though, maybe that’s how it’s supposed to be.

Everything It’s Opposite

If you listen to the old beliefs in alchemy or hermetics, or if you’ve read the Kybalion or Jung, you may have noticed this idea before, and it actually isn’t correlated directly with the concept of deity. In short, the reason why evil exists in a world of so much good is because everything must have an opposite.

For this answer, the assumption is that everything must remain in balance. So each time someone chooses to be good on their own, every time something is formed to do good, evil must rise up to fill the gap. In my life, I haven’t seen this, but I have seen something similar, which could make it look like that’s the case. I don’t believe that evil is rising up to balance good; instead, I’m seeing, as more people try to do better, evil just gets louder. That’s important, because that explains the real answer (in my opinion) for why God doesn’t intervene in our lives.

This Was Never Supposed To Be Easy…

This may cause some fights (to be fair, this whole article could start some fights), but I want to take it back to the core issue. The reason why people see God (or the universe) as “not intervening” in their lives is because life is hard. Unlike what the motivational TikToks tell you, life is not magically working in your favor because of one season of affirmations:

Everyone is going to get sick, feel sorrow, and die.
Once in a while, someone will do you wrong.

Most importantly, you have to work to build the life you want. It’s going to suddenly get easier because you have a positive attitude and a gratitude journal (although those definitely help); you actually have to chase what you want, and that’s by design.

I believe that the purpose of this life was designed by whoever you choose to believe in (God, the universe, etc.—it doesn’t matter) as a test. A test to see how each of us would build on and manage the talents and resources we’ve been given. In short, the creator of this universe is asking us, “Here is the hand you’ve been dealt…how are you going to play it?” The ball is in your court; it’s up to you to decide how you want to live with the life you’ve been given. For me, that’s kind of empowering.

Bringing It All Back Together

I am not here to provide a direct answer. If anything, I want to change the debate, moving away from the platitudes and claims that can’t be proven to potential answers. Also, I do believe that God intervenes in our lives when we ask for it, but that’s a topic for another day.

So here’s where I land: life isn’t fair, and it isn’t supposed to be. It’s a proving ground. And every day you wake up and choose to keep building anyway, you’re answering the question better than any philosophy ever could.

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