An interesting article worth reading....
Quit Saying “Everything Happens For a
Reason”
I do believe God can make everything
beautiful, but I don’t believe everything
happens for a reason.
happens for a reason.
Have you ever found yourself, in the
midst of unimaginable grief, pain, heartache,
or despair, wondering how you are going to make it through another day?
Wondering where your next breath is going to come from? Your world has
crumbled beneath you and has left you feeling shattered, empty, and hopeless.
or despair, wondering how you are going to make it through another day?
Wondering where your next breath is going to come from? Your world has
crumbled beneath you and has left you feeling shattered, empty, and hopeless.
And then a well meaning friend or
family member comes along and drops
the infamous “Everything happens for a reason” bomb. You smile kindly
and nod. That’s all you can do to keep yourself from punching them in the face.
the infamous “Everything happens for a reason” bomb. You smile kindly
and nod. That’s all you can do to keep yourself from punching them in the face.
You can’t possibly imagine a reason for
what just happened.
The more you stew about a possible
reason for your pain, the angrier you become.
You try desperately to make sense of a situation that won’t ever make sense.
You reach for answers but none come.
You try desperately to make sense of a situation that won’t ever make sense.
You reach for answers but none come.
I spent years searching for answers,
trying to find reasons that would bring
an end to my pain. I thought that if I could find the cause, I could treat the
condition. But what I found through years of searching, experiencing, and
living is that often there is no reason for why tragedy has occurred.
an end to my pain. I thought that if I could find the cause, I could treat the
condition. But what I found through years of searching, experiencing, and
living is that often there is no reason for why tragedy has occurred.
Sometimes bad things happen for no
reason other than we are human
beings having a human experience. Pain, heartache, grief, loss, disease,
and death are inevitable parts of the human experience.
beings having a human experience. Pain, heartache, grief, loss, disease,
and death are inevitable parts of the human experience.
We hear people say “Life dealt me a
crappy hand” as if pain and hardships
are not the norm. We assume that life is supposed to be easy and when things
don’t go our way, we feel like we have been wronged. Human beings seem
to have an innate sense of entitlement. We think that we are owed a pain
free existence.
are not the norm. We assume that life is supposed to be easy and when things
don’t go our way, we feel like we have been wronged. Human beings seem
to have an innate sense of entitlement. We think that we are owed a pain
free existence.
But the truth is that human
beings are not exempt from the human experience.
And struggle is an innate part of the human experience. None of us are
exceptions to this rule. We all struggle. We all suffer. We all experience pain,
heartache, and loss. And sometimes, there’s just no reason other than we are
human and pain is a part of the process.
And struggle is an innate part of the human experience. None of us are
exceptions to this rule. We all struggle. We all suffer. We all experience pain,
heartache, and loss. And sometimes, there’s just no reason other than we are
human and pain is a part of the process.
I recently had a conversation with a
friend who was struggling to find peace
with “God’s plan” for her life including the recent death of a loved one.
with “God’s plan” for her life including the recent death of a loved one.
“How could this possibly be God’s
will?” she asked.
Here’s the thing about God’s will. Are
you ready for this? Listen closely:
God’s plan is never for someone to have
cancer. God’s will is not for an
innocent child to be brutally murdered. God’s will is not for a teenage
girl to be raped. God’s will is not chronic pain, illness, disability, or death.
God's will is not for a husband or wife to commit adultery.
innocent child to be brutally murdered. God’s will is not for a teenage
girl to be raped. God’s will is not chronic pain, illness, disability, or death.
God's will is not for a husband or wife to commit adultery.
God’s will is not an event that happens
to us, it’s how we respond
to what happens.
to what happens.
God’s will for us is to walk with Him
through the cancer. Through the abuse.
Through the death. Through the illness. God’s will is for us to draw close to
him in the midst of pain. God’s will is for us to use our painful life events to
carry his message of hope, grace, forgiveness, and mercy.
Through the death. Through the illness. God’s will is for us to draw close to
him in the midst of pain. God’s will is for us to use our painful life events to
carry his message of hope, grace, forgiveness, and mercy.
God’s plan was never for pain to be
part of the human experience.
His plan was for us to live in peace and harmony with Him. The human
experience became painful when sin entered the world. Our own free will
weaved threads of tragedy, loss, heartache, and pain into the human experience
His plan was for us to live in peace and harmony with Him. The human
experience became painful when sin entered the world. Our own free will
weaved threads of tragedy, loss, heartache, and pain into the human experience
God is not responsible for our pain. We
are not responsible for our pain.
What happened in the Garden of Eden is responsible for the human condition.
And the human condition is hard wired for pain and suffering.
God is not causing us to hurt. He is hurting with us. What we do with our
hurt is what matters. How we handle tragedy is what brings purpose into our pain.
What happened in the Garden of Eden is responsible for the human condition.
And the human condition is hard wired for pain and suffering.
God is not causing us to hurt. He is hurting with us. What we do with our
hurt is what matters. How we handle tragedy is what brings purpose into our pain.
There’s hardly ever a justifiable
reason for the bad things that happen in life.
Tragic loss is not laced with inherent specs of good. I used to get so mad
when people would say, “you can find good in every situation.”
That’s just not true. There was nothing good about being raped. There is no
good in murder or abuse. There is nothing good about adultery.
Tragic loss is not laced with inherent specs of good. I used to get so mad
when people would say, “you can find good in every situation.”
That’s just not true. There was nothing good about being raped. There is no
good in murder or abuse. There is nothing good about adultery.
We have to create the good. We have to
choose to respond in a way that brings
good into an impossible situation. We have to choose to give purpose
and meaning to our suffering.
good into an impossible situation. We have to choose to give purpose
and meaning to our suffering.
Not everything happens for a reason.
But in everything that happens, there can
be a reason to bring hope and healing to others. God can use our pain for a
greater good if we choose to let him in.
be a reason to bring hope and healing to others. God can use our pain for a
greater good if we choose to let him in.
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