Does Everything REALLY Happen for a Reason?

I can’t tell you how many times that, after someone experiences an unfortunate setback, I’ve heard them say, “Well, I guess everything happens for a reason.” I’m never quite sure what to say when I hear that. There are two very different ways to interpret that statement – one I have reservations about and the other I completely endorse.

Interpretation #1 is born out of a vaguely spiritual, quasi-agnostic worldview. Judging another person’s spiritual condition is always perilous. However, I have noticed some patterns. Some people, by their own admission, don’t embrace the biblical view that Jesus is indeed God whose death and resurrection provide the only mechanism for dealing with their rebellion against God and coming back to him. These are good people who often have some sense of spirituality. But that spirituality is often not well-defined and borders on agnosticism. They may believe in a “higher power” but not necessarily the personal God as revealed by Jesus. In my opinion, when these folks say everything happens for a reason, it sounds a bit flabby and comes across more like wishful thinking than confidence in God.

Interpretation #2 is based on a clear commitment to the picture of the sovereign, all-wise, loving God that emerges from the Bible. Besides the Bible, the book that has helped me more than any other in my Christian life is Trusting God by Jerry Bridges. It thoroughly documents three key attributes of God:

·       He is sovereign over absolutely everything – This includes people, world events and nature.

·       He knows what he is doing – He is all-wise.

·       He loves you completely – This is most dramatically demonstrated by Jesus’ sacrificial death for the forgiveness of sins.

One of my favorite illustrations of God’s sovereignty highlighted in Trusting God is the Exodus 34 account where God instructs all of Israel’s men to leave their homes and appear before the Lord three times a year. Vacating the land left Israel absolutely defenseless and vulnerable to its enemies. Bridges explains that the equivalent in today’s world would be shutting down all commerce, halting all educational activities, and removing all military presence. What do you think our enemies would do?

Here’s the incredible part. In Exodus 34:24, God doesn’t just say the surrounding enemy nations wouldn’t invade the land. He promises they won’t even want to do so. Although these are not people attempting to serve the living God, he still controls their hearts. Think about that. Israel’s foes don’t profess any loyalty to God or his people, but God promises to even reach into their hostile hearts and override the natural instincts of fallen humanity. This is astounding! If God controls even the desires of barbaric nations, what does he not control?

I know. These statements about God’s absolute control of everything raise all kinds of questions about free will, personal accountability, the problem of evil, and host of other issues. I can’t address all that here, but Jerry Bridges provides great insights and demonstrates how Scripture thoroughly supports the statements about God’s absolute sovereignty over everything. He also offers compelling biblical evidence concerning God’s wisdom and love.

The takeaway from Trusting God is that, if God truly rules over all, knows exactly what he’s doing, and loves you beyond imagination, what can happen to you that exists outside those parameters? Clearly, nothing.

So back to the original question:  Does everything really happen for a reason? The short answer is “Yes.” But there is a world of difference between the vaguely spiritual, wishful thinking Interpretation #1 above and the comforting Interpretation #2 so fully described in Trusting God.  The confidence we have is embodied by Romans 8:28, one of the most-quoted New Testament verses:  “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” So, yes, you can trust that God has his purposes. But you also have to be OK even if his plan remains somewhat mysterious. In hindsight, we can often see things more clearly, but we can’t demand an explanation.

If you are still living under Interpretation #1, what would it take you to get to Interpretation #2? Let me suggest that Jerry Brooks’ fantastic book can point you in that direction.

Is God Paying You a Compliment?

I’m not a gardener. So many things can go wrong that when a plant is struggling, and I have no idea what the problem is. Is it getting too much sun? Not enough? Does it need fertilizer? Is the ground too sandy? Is there too much clay? Did I overwater it? Underwater it? Are there bugs?

A couple of years ago, we had some shrubs in front of the house that were on death watch, and given the complexities of plant science, we decided to just start over. The challenge was finding a single shrub variety that could thrive in conditions ranging from full sunlight to full shade. Very few are that adaptable, but we finally settled on a specific type of hawthorn that prefers sunlight but does reasonably well in shade.

Although all twelve plants were healthy, when it came to planting them, I made sure to put the very best and strongest specimens in the least favorable (that is, most shady) conditions. 

As I was planting them, it occurred to me that my placement decisions might parallel the life circumstances God allows in different people’s lives. Some seem to have it made. Everything consistently falls into place:  good health, great jobs, smooth family lives, few financial problems, etc.  Others experience just the opposite.

Chris, a friend I’ve been meeting with monthly for several years, seems to be a problem magnet. His family of origin was a total nightmare. His wife of two decades suddenly left him for another man, triggering a very expensive years-long custody fight. He experienced other issues with his adult children. And just when I thought things couldn’t get worse, he had a serious car accident that has left him with significant medical issues that threaten his ability to work.

I can only speculate about why God has allowed this tough, tough series of circumstances.  But my experience with planting the hawthorns makes me wonder if perhaps God is paying Chris a very high compliment. Just as I made sure to place the very strongest plants in the most demanding locations, could it be that God does the same and allows the most severe circumstances for those he knows can handle it the best? Remember Job and how God singled him out because of his righteousness?

This is consistent with the spirit of what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10:13 – God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.  

I’m sure there were many times Chris was tempted to despair, but God has been faithful to sustain him in his faith. And he has not only endured but grown greatly. In fact, he is almost unrecognizable as the same man I started meeting with a few years ago. And it’s because of the adversity God has allowed in his life. Others might have crumbled but Chris hasn’t, and he serves as a powerful testimony to God’s grace.  

So, the next time you encounter a particularly rough spell, perhaps it’s God way of paying you a big compliment by recognizing the inner strength he has built into your life.  

NOTE: This post is an updated version of my post from May 17, 2018.