Growing up, I whole-heartedly believed this... Now, I'm not too sure...
I have met so many people who believe this, family, friends, and I think there could be some validity, but maybe it's the verbage or the language of the matter...
I've heard this response time and time again... "Though we may not be able to see the reason now, doesn't mean there isn't a reason for it"
To me, this phrase is kind of a "cop-out" in the sense that we use it to justify things that happen in our lives that aren't "good". To me I hear that there is a belief that GOD has intentionally placed 'bad' things in our lives to teach us some sort of lesson, and in turn is used to glorify HIM. Gives me the heebee-geebees...
I've toyed around with the idea that "We can learn a 'lesson' from all things" OR "WE can choose to see reason and call it God's"...
I like this the best though... Why can't God just be the all loving God that is there to walk with you in the hard times, there to love you and comfort you? I can't wrap my mind around the fact that a good and loving God would intentionally place something 'bad' in our lives to 'teach us a lesson...' God is all knowing, but does that mean that God is a puppeteer, controlling all of humanity? Where's the free will in that?
I'm reading the book "The Shack" right now by William P Young. The character Mackenzie's daughter was kidnapped and murdered... He goes to the shack and meets God. If you are currently reading it, or wanting to check it out, read pages 125-127. Mack is crying out and God tell's him that humans choose what is good and evil (another blog), and don't always trust that God IS good! God says "Your choices are also not stronger than my purposes, and I will use every choice you make for the ultimate good and most loving outcome..." To me, this might mean that WE, broken human beings, can make choices that lead to 'bad' outcomes... I interpret that as humans fail, and cause the crap in the world, but God is maybe there to clean up the mess? Now the more I read those pages the more validity I could see in the "Everything happens for a reason" phrase, but that's William's beliefs, not necessarily fact.
Which leads me to another point... I think by saying everything happens for a reason is using that phrase as a "certainty" which means that there is no room for 'error'... Some people choose to live in that life of certainty because it's comfortable... Not saying this is terrible, but I think as I am exploring faith, it's hard for me to say there are 'definites' except that there is a God who chose us, who loves us, who is with us every step of the way... Not necessarily one who says:
"Kinna, I need to test you. I am going to purposefully make you miserable for a reason. You may not see it yet, but one day you will, and you will thank me."
How about a God who says:
"Kinna, I am with you right now in your troubles, walking with you and loving you. I am here, and I will carry you. Trust me that I am all Good. Trust that I will always be here with you and love you, to cry with you and to laugh with you. 'I give you peace now, my peace... not as the world gives, but as I give..."
I'd love to hear your thoughts as I wrestle with this...
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This seems to be another big issue; are you pro-everything happens for a reason or against? As of now, I see this as a dilemma in which I should rest in paradox. Does God place things in our life to test us? Or perhaps a better wording would be: why doesn't God remove times of great grief from our lives with his omnipotence? And you know what the other side says, because you just said it.
ReplyDeleteDon't both ways of thinking put our God in a box so that we can understand the way he works? And isn't that impossible? One way provides more personal comfort than another (happens for a reason vs. not), so we choose that and say: this is how God operates, see? We may go down paths that cause extreme physical or emotional discomfort; debating whether or not God placed us there is besides the point; knowing that he's there with us is where it's at.
I'm not completely sure what you're saying... I would love to talk to you more about this.
ReplyDeleteCan I join your conversation on this? I am very intersted and there are things both of you bring up that I do not fully understand. The whole aspect of the phrase for one, when I hear people bring it up I never got anything positive from it. Second, I do not really understand the thought process one uses when they can say that and be totally at peace.
ReplyDeleteWould enjoy to listen to your ideas.
I would recommend reading Rabbi Harold Kushner's "When Bad Things Happen to Good People". It deals with this exact issue and takes the position that God is there to comfort us but is not the cause of any of life's woes. This view replaces the image of an omnipotent God for one who is unable to solve our problems for us. For some this may seem almost blasphemous, but for others it is reassuring that God does not cause nor want us to suffer for ANY reason.
ReplyDeletePeace and blessings.
Eruesso, Thank you so much for the suggestion. I will check it out!
ReplyDeleteKinna! I loved your post on this topic. I think it's one of those life questions that we will never completely understand because it's beyond our comprehension. Plus it connects to a lot of those other impossible questions like what's the meaning of life (besides 42) and how does God operate.
ReplyDeleteA description that makes the most sense to me is looking at our relationship with God like that between a parent and a child. As much as we would love to protect them from everything that is bad in the world, they have to make their own mistakes because that's the way they learn and grow. I visualize it as a kid who is trying to build with blocks and even though you can take one look at it and see that it's clearly going to fall apart, you let them build on.
I think God provides us with guidance but pretty much leaves us to our own devices and isn't playing some cosmic strategy game. Not to say that he doesn't intervene or connect with us, but that he tries to equip us then trusts and hopes that we'll use it the best we can.
This view is in no way completely adequate and still raises a ton of questions about God's motives and role in our lives, but the gist of it is I don't believe God is vindictive and will always be there to hold us when we need to cry about our blocks fall down