Monday, February 27, 2023

Last week, Pastor Ben introduced our new series, Promises, Promises, with the cliché, “God won’t give you more than you can handle.” However, when we bring it back to what the Bible really says (1 Corinthians 10:13), we see God’s promise is different. If you have not had the opportunity to hear that message, please go back and listen to it. It puts a new perspective on this cliché.

Speaking of clichés, do you think “everything happens for a reason”?

This weekend, Pastor Andy unpacked the next installment of our series with that cliché. Again, this phrase sounds biblical, but is it?

In preparation for the series, Andy asked on Facebook, “When you hear the phrase, ‘everything happens for a reason,’ what comes to mind?” He received comments from across the spectrum. Some people said it gave them peace. Others said it is what people say when they don’t know what to say. One commenter even said they’d punch the person who said that in the face—wow!

Personally, I feel the phrase seems harsh. I immediately had a flashback to the “cause-and-effect relationship” I learned in college economics. For example, let’s consider the time I reached my hand in the oven to check if my cake was done and accidentally bumped the baking coil. I received a second-degree burn on my forearm because of it. There is a direct correlation between bumping the coil and my burn—there was definitely a reason why my burn happened. However, this type of cause and effect is not where this week’s phrase comes from.

Rather, people generally turn to saying this when there is a situation that is hard to explain. Generally, there is no clear-cut cause and effect reason why something happens, and offering this advice to someone who is suffering is less than helpful.

As Kate Bowlers points out in her book Everything Happens for a Reason: And Other Lies I’ve Loved, the phrases we use to explain life’s difficulties often fall into one of three unhelpful categories:

• Minimizing – “It could be worse.”
• Teaching – trying to teach someone a lesson.
• Solving – trying to solve someone’s problem.

Instead, let’s look at what is helpful by taking a moment to see what God’s Word really says.

Romans 8:28
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

This is the verse that people correlate with the cliché, “Everything happens for a reason.” But this verse offers so much more. It’s one of God’s promises, and in it, he pledges to redeem all things. This offers us comfort for all our hardships and brings us to our Bottom Line: God will make right what is not all right.

Philippians 1:6
And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

Questions:
Have you ever told someone that things happen for a reason? What was their reaction? Has anyone ever said that to you? How did it make you feel? After hearing Andy’s teaching, do you know a better way to empathize with others?

Next Steps:
Continue reading LIO this week to learn more about what God promises.

Text “Promises” to 419-419-0707 to receive the one-time resource on the promises of God. Read God’s promises, and pick one or more to meditate on.

Prayer:
Dear Father in heaven, thank you for working all things together for my good, even when I can’t see it. Thank you for the promise of reconciliation. Grant me your peace and hope when I feel things are hopeless. Open my eyes to your plan for my life, and give me the courage to live it out. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Series Theme Verse:

2 Peter 1:4
And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.