Does Everything Happen for a Reason?
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
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So in light of the discussion tonight, I want to know more of what you think.
What did you agree with?
Disagree with?
Did this discussion help you better understand God? How?
Do you feel like you can better comfort someone in crisis?
What's THE ONE thing you'll take away from tonight?
Rebel Discipleship starts next week!
peace.
What did you agree with?
Disagree with?
Did this discussion help you better understand God? How?
Do you feel like you can better comfort someone in crisis?
What's THE ONE thing you'll take away from tonight?
Rebel Discipleship starts next week!
peace.
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I really like how Casey said that God was in charge but he wasn't in control. I have actually put a lot of deep thought into this, and I think Casey nailed how to describe why there is still so much evil in the world.
But there was still something on my mind. Why would God let his creation that he loves so much, made in his own image, stay so corrupt and evil? But then it hit me. God gave us free will for a reason. God made us the way we were so that we could chose to worship and praise him in everything that we do. He doesn't want us to be robots and do this because we have to. That wouldn't be pleasing to God because the worship that we would give would essentially be meaningless. On the contrary, as much as it hurts God everytime one of us sins against another or against God himself, especially in unrepentance, I believe that God lets these evil manifestations in his creation remain because he wants us to want to praise him.
This definitely opens my eyes when it comes to worship. When I look at my praise to God in this way, it really takes what I want out of worship completely out of the picture because worship isn't about me in the first place. I see that God has blessed me with the gift of free will so that I can chose to obey him, to worship him, to exalt him, and to live for him in everything that I do for eternity. Not just my time here on earth, but also for eternity in heaven. How incredibly special it is to be able to please God through a gift that he has given to all his creation.
I pray and I hope that I can continue to persevere in the race I am running. That I can not be like the evils of this world, but instead be like God wants us to be and chose to live for him.
I think Jim Elliot(missionary killed by natives of Ecuador) offers a great quote to this discussion. Tracey read this just last night...if only I'd had it a little sooner. :)
"Granted, fate and tragedy, aimlessness and just-missing-by-a-hair are part of the human experience, but they are not all, and I'm not sure they are a major part, even in the lives of men who know no Designer or design. For me, I have seen a Keener Force yet, the force of Ultimate Good working through seeming ill. Not that there is rosiness, ever; there is genuine ill, struggle, dark-handed, unreasoning fate, mistakes, 'if-onlys' and all the Hardyisms you can muster. But in them I am beginning to discover a Plan greater than any could imagine."
thanks a lot eli, that was really encouraging bro. thanks a lot for you too casey and to lendy for discussing this topic that people that divided views on. i believe that people don't mean to say that God is behind evil things when they say "everything happens for a reason." but, i think it's just a phrase that has become common for many people to say in the situations like we talked about. i think we all have the common understanding that good things can come out of all situations with the power of God. and i believe that we're all thankful to God when these good things do come from good and bad situations. i'm really glad that we looked at scriptures and discussed it to see that the evil things in the world are from the evil one, satan. using the 'rendering unto caesar' phrase, we should become aware the things that are of God and become aware of the things that are of satan.
i definitely agree that we need to think about the meaning before we say something to someone whether it be a happy situation or a sad one. because, we want to be expressing what Jesus would say and do in all situations to all persons. Jesus wouldn't say 'everything happens for a reason' when something bad/evil happens to a person, but He would say live in the Father and pray to Him to bring heaven to earth in the bad situation that people may see God working in the midst of the evil from satan.
Eli and Matthew, you both have great comments. Casey, I enjoyed the talk about behind the phrase, "does everything happen for a reason?" I agree with Matthew that it is a phrase so commonly heard that people tend to believe it. I love the idea of God being in charge instead of in control,and us and all of creation being a part of renewal process.
I do have question and sort of a statement, is it wrong to attribute all evil to Satan?
I see and hear of a lot of Christians doing this. Something bad happens to them or for some reason they can't come to church and they immediately jump to the conclusion that Satan is at work when God could be working.
Evil is also attributed to culture in things like movies,magezines and even books. Some say these are evil and false doctrine. What do you think?
i believe "that the evil things in the world are from the evil one, satan." Laura, i read what you wrote about someone not being able to go to worship/bible study or when something bad happens, and i wasn't sure what kind of examples you were leaning toward where it may not be satan behind it.
i know that this phrase we discussed is a reply/'follow-up' phrase to an event. and i think it's very important that we put God into the follow-up of every situation.
one thing i have heard before is 'someone is getting/letting the evil out' when someone is dealing with or trying to get over some sickness. and in some cases, this sickness may keep a person from feeling like attending worship/bible study. i don't believe that God has us to /learn/ by any methods that we understand to be bad happenings. i do believe that God is with me, and He assisted me in my arrival to and my time at olemiss, so that i could have a lot of growing (learning) with the campus ministry here.
i believe that God works in the follow-up of the happenings from our free will decisions. i believe that God is with us too for protection during those happenings. "Be strong and courageous and do not be afraid; the Lord goes with you everyday."
i believe satan is there in the times of our decision making before the happenings. like bob said this morning, satan could careless to be around during our brokenness from an event when we are turning to God in the follow-up. and since satan is wanting to be there in the times we are making decisions, we need to be living in the Father (God) as Jesus did, praying to Him so that our decisions will be ones like Jesus would make.
satan definitely loves to spend time in the media. media is apart of every non-hermit's life. we see it everywhere. lust, envy, distraction from Jesus can easily happen from seeing/reading the wrong stuff. i recently had a small discussion with casey about stuff he watches on tv. the time he gives to that, he said he looks for ways to make use of it in or relate it to the kingdom of God. i would strongly encourage us all to read/see media that we can do that with. i do get some #1 happiness from comedy when i can :). but with all media i feel like we have to be careful what's being represented.
coincidence is God's way of remaining anonymous.
However I did not get to hear your devotion! But that is my idealistic take.
it's a fall 2008 one titled: 09.03.2008 Wed PM Does Everything Happen for a Reason? by Casey Coston and Lendy Bartlett
http://rebelsforchrist.org/media.php?t=1
i'm not sure when God would want to be anonymous: http://youtube.com/watch?v=cyheJ480LYA
i believe that God is always with each soul that He has created from Himself and is probably the happiest with us when we see Him. God is good all the time; all the time God is good. i believe He wants us to see His goodness :) i believe the jealousy of God's character mentioned in exodus 20:4-5 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%2020:4-5&version=31) is reflective in how God wants us to see that all good things come from Him, so we can be living faithfully with/through Him as our only God.
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