So I’ve been thinking about something……..how many times in your life when something bad, sad or tragic happens have your heard someone say….. “Everything happens for a reason” ……I can tell you I’ve heard it a bunch, whether or not it was directed at me or I just over heard it……people like to use this term. Some of you might use it…..I know that I have.
Here’s the thing……I’m starting to think that’s bs…….and before you freak and think that I’ve lost my faith, like my wife did when I said this to her, hear me out………What if things don’t happen for a reason….I mean a specific end reason……like me loosing my job was just so I could get another job..…………..what if…….things just happen? We get caught in the middle of life…..as it happens……..what if the important part is not that something happen but rather what’s important is how our faith reacts when it happens? What if it’s what we do with our faith that determines what’s next rather than the belief that everything happened just so we could get to this next thing…….like the next thing is what it’s really all about.
People die…..sometimes they die young……is the reason the person died so the loved one left behind can build a new life with someone else?......Or did the person just die………..and then what those that are left behind do with their faith determines the path their life takes……good or bad? In other words would it be proper to say that “this happened for a reason” when everything that happens after is bad? Is the reason so that even more bad things could happen?
Part of me feels like this statement is one of the most colossal copouts of all time……and here’s why I think that….belief in that statement gives us a reason to not struggle with our circumstances…..if everything happens for a reason then all you have to do is hold on….it will all get better because remember, things happen for a reason………But maybe if we thought that things just happen we would be better at struggling with ourselves…..maybe we would learn to pray about them….I mean really pray about them in the “I don’t know what’s going to hit the fan next but I really need you Lord because I’m scared and don’t know what to do” sense……rather than the “Well, everything happens for a reason so I’m sure you’ll work it out God” sense.
We all face difficult times in our life……some more serious than others. This last little stretch of my life has been…I’ll say interesting……This all kind of came crashing in on me when I was listening to a pastor from Grand Rapids, Michigan a few weeks ago named Rob Bell….some of you might be familiar with him…..anyway, he was talking about struggling with life….and what it means to do so…….and I realized that I don’t know how to struggle with a situation…..I mean really struggle…….taking my current situation (Jobless while my wife works 5 jobs to keep us a float) which I hesitate to call a struggle because it could be so much worse….but for the sake of this post…….Have I really struggled with the situation?? If I’m honest, the answer is no….at least not in the way that Rob was talking about……not like Peter struggled………sure, I‘ve prayed about it…in the “Lord help me, Things happen for a reason” kind of way…….but I haven’t struggled with it……I haven’t really tried to lean in on God and understand or even really deal with how and what I’m feeling……that kind of struggle doesn’t happen in a passing prayer…the other thing I have been thinking is that if I don’t know how to struggle with a situation like this…..what happens if and when something tragic happens…..what happens when I get sick……or Kat gets sick……or what if Brady gets sick………what then…….what experience will I have to draw on?? How much can I really know about my self if I don’t know how to struggle with what happens around me? And even more important than that….how much can I really know about God if I don’t struggle and give Him the chance to grow me?
A year from now, when I look back on this time……what will I have learned……will I look back and say “My faith is stronger for going through that”….or will I say…..”Yeah, that really sucked, I hope that never happens again”……or worse…..will I look back and think that this all happened just so I could get a different job. If I do that, I think I will have really missed the point.
5 comments:
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.- Rom 8:28 NASB
This verse only answers your question as it relates to a believer....and only then tells us that God CAUSES those things to work together for good....
I agree that sometimes things just happen...and how you react IS the point. God will use that thing to enrich your faith in Him....although we often fail because we basically suck. Doesn't change that God will cause it all to work together for good in the long run.
Your original question, I think, was something about "everything happens for a reason". Although you can make a case either way....I don't know that it is Biblical (other than how God can USE those things as mentioned in Rom 8:28). I guess it really just depends on whose you are.....are you His? In that case, regardless of the suckiness of the situation...God will CAUSE it to work for good. Are you your own or do you belong to another god? If so, life just sucks sometimes. You're gonna have to deal with it.
You can, I believe, look at one other possiblity....in that God will do (or allow) things to get the unbeliever to focus on Him and see Him and trust Him. In that case....its still in accordance with Rom 8:28....just in a future kind of tense.....but I kinda think God is always trying to reach out to those who do not believe by trying to get their attention on Him....often by using horrible circumstances that will force them to answer questions of His existence and His essense. I will be interested to hear what the Calvinist and Armenian will have to say to the point though.
This is a lot to digest. My own point of view comes in two parts: 1) My real life everyday application of this concept
2) My understanding of the theology of the concept
I understand, as AC points out that God promises all things will work out for those who love God, in my weakness, I don't buy it. Anyone else feel cursed, at times? Sometimes, I feel destined to be an example for others in showing them what not to do. As if maybe God's plan is to have me fail so that everyone else can see the grand scope of my failure and learn from it.
That's not how we're to live, of course, but that's the honest truth. One thing I'm pretty sure this concept isn't meant to mean is no matter how bad things are, things will eventually get better as you understand them to be. Well, everyone who has a disease and who is a Christian isn't healed. So how is that working out?
Bottom line is, we don't really know what's best for ourselves or for others and if we don't trust God, we're never going to buy into the big picture. Sometimes, I honestly don't like hearing stories on how the lady prayed for such and such and it never happened and then finally one day, it did. Only because if it hadn't happened, it doesn't mean God didn't come through.
Who knows?
As for AC's comment, "but I kinda think God is always trying to reach out to those who do not believe by trying to get their attention on Him", I think if God tries to get your attention, he gets your attention. And for those for whom that results in salvation, that was clearly the intent and it was executed. But for those for whom it doesn't work out, I really don't think God meant for it to. I know that's tough, but my view here is, either He is sovereign or He is not and if God tries to convince you of His saving grace and can't pull it off, that would say to me that He isn't God.
After all, if the plan were for all to be saved, I'm sure God could come up with something convincing enough for everyone, even if it took a Damascus Road experience (Paul). Simply put, He chooses not to, showing the rest of us that some get grace, others get justice. Even if God shows some of Himself to everyone and gives off the appearance that some had a shot and didn't choose correctly.
As to cries of "God would that none should perish", I think of the judge who carries out true and proper justice. He takes no pleasure in having to send people to jail or whatever the punnishment is and that puts this into context for me. The law of God must be upheld and we're all guilty. Christians can point to Christ and say that He paid our debt. Non-Christians can't and they get the justice piece. Harsh, I know, but don't look at me, I didn't plan it.
God is the Potter. I am the clay.
He has predestined us (yes, this non-Calvinist used that word, {in context}), to be conformed to the image of His Son; to become more and more like Christ. Sometimes this is an ugly and painful process. Our jobs, our comfort, and even our physical health are of value to the Lord, but he values our heart/soul far more.
Sin carries both consequence and conviction for the believer, but following Christ also carries the promise of trials and tribulations and the oft-times "sharing in the fellowship of His sufferings." The latter has nothing to do with sin but has to do completely with the righteousness of a loving God. He is making us like Christ, no matter the cost, and in this, James tells us to count it all JOY!?!?!? Herein lies the trust and promises, knowing that suffering/endurance/character/hope is His process, and if you are not in a trial or leaving a trial His promise is that one is coming; and it's for our good and for His glory.
Sadly, sickness often leads to more sickness and death. Sadly, joblessness often leads to financial loss and foreclosure. Indeed we pray, fervently. However, God's will may be a thorn in our flesh that will remain for humility or His higher purpose which is promised by Him.
As for the Calvinism, it is not that God fails to reveal Himself for He has set eternity in our hearts (Eccl.) and given evidence of Himself and His divine nature with clarity in His creation. (Romans 1) People are condemned, because they reject Him and "are without excuse," (Romans 1), not because Christ died only for the elect. If man having the ability to refuse God's grace somehow limits God's sovereignty then Romans 1 and the unbelieving who are exposed to God's general revelation in Creation must also indict His sovereignty.
When I "quench" the Spirit I do not diminish His sovereignty. My sin is pure rebellion, and yet, when my heart is far from Him, He is still Lord. When I doubt, and worry, and question His love He is unmoved and unchanged. Nothing I do in belief or unbelief will move Him from His rightful throne.
OK, I'm done.
Having written far too much... how can we minister to you and your family in a practical way as the Body to our Brother? Feel free to email needs if you wish rather than post them for all the world to see.
Jeebs: If man having the ability to refuse God's grace somehow limits God's sovereignty then Romans 1 and the unbelieving who are exposed to God's general revelation in Creation must also indict His sovereignty.
TH: Not if God purposed the unbelieving. As in Exodus when Pharaoh was given over to his desires, the unbeliever is simply given what he wants. In a manner of speaking, God did not intervene to change the heart of Pharaoh because he had a plan.
We then ask the important question. Could God have changed Pharaoh's heart? The answer is yes. Then we ask for any unbeliever who has ever lived, "Could God have intervened in his life such that he becomes repentant?" The answer again, is an obvious yes.
Rationality demands then that we conclude ... if He could have and didn't, He didn't see fit.
I'm always a bit perplexed why there is such an outcry against modern application of "Calvin's" election, yet not so for the manifold OT peoples. Where's the outcry and objection on their behalf?
You guys minister to me already.....this entire post was a stream of consciousness thing and was more of an indictment on me than anything else....when I lost my job I heard "it just means God has a better job for you"....and I thought that too...and that may be exactly what happens....but for me to just sit back and wait for that without leaning in on God and learning by building and growing my faith would be a big mistake....for me to think that this is about a job would be naive and I would ultimately mis the real point.....which is to depend on God no matter the circumstance or outcome. I was just being honest that I haven't really done that like I should.
To Adam's point about Romans 8, I completely agree with God working all things together.....I claim that....my issue is thinking that I have a clue as to what "work together" will look like. In light of this verse of course things don't just happen...God always knows what's coming but I think we (I) get in trouble when I view it as systematic...I lost this job to get this job......again, it's not about the job....it's about God and he has been showing me that....but I'll be honest and say that sometimes when God shows you stuff it kind of tosses you on your ear and that is really what put this post in motion.
I have nothing to complain about. Sure, this stretch has been less than perfect but we are all healthy and we are making it just fine. And that really was the main point...if I can't learn to depend on God in this what happens when something really bad happens.....because it most likely will at some point in my life....God wants us to depend on him and him alone....I need to take advantage of times like this to learn that.
I appreciate you guys more than you can know and just that fact that we can dialog like this helps me.
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