Everything happens for a reason??

[Nikicarol]

I have believed since I became a Christian, that everything happens for a reason, I suppose I believed it in quite a shallow way.

Lately I have been thinking about it more, for instance, this evening I was enjoying good fellowship with some ladies from my church at a meeting that doesn't happen all that often, we were discussing really interesting stuff and things that I found useful in my daily life, but then I received a text message from my hubby, my son was ill and asking for me and I had to go home! I was gutted really, I didn't want to leave, but my son needed me so I went home.

On the way home I was sad to have to leave and wondered why my hubby couldn't deal with our son himself! anyway, half way home I walked past a house and someone was coming out, it was a friend who was walking in the same direction, we had a chat, I told her where I had been and why I was going home and she told me where she was going. And we parted company.

When I got home, I was really annoyed to find that my son was fast asleep in his bed, and didn't need me at all! I felt like I had been dragged out of the meeting for no reason! I tried not to show my annoyance to my hubby, but instead thought about why me bumping into my friend could have been significant, because she is someone with who I have been witnessing to and praying for, I guess only God knows.

Do you have any thoughts on this, or experiences that have made you think?

love - Nicky

 

[Sharky]

Personally, i'm not sure everything happens for a reason or not. That's a debatable concept.

I think the real issue is whether or not you will listen to God not what it will lookl ike in the end. I've been in a few situations where i would feel like God is dragging me out of something. Literally when i do listen to that, in the end i see absolutely no reason why. The truth is tho you have to trust God no matter what it looks like.

Also becareful of 'gut feelings' or 'signs' that make it sound like God is telling you something. The voice of God is more obvious than it seems and we need to learn how to listen to that 'still small voice'.

 

[IKTCA]

Sister Niki Carol,

I must admit that I do not have your spiritual sensitivity. I am not sure if it is just me, or if it is a male thing. But seeing the delicate touch of the Lord in daily occurrences is not the capability I have. Be a joy to the Lord through seeing/feeling the hand of God, and thanksgiving in all things. I remember Paul's teaching:

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Your testimony is a loud amen to this word of God. Thank you for sharing.

Rupert

 

[Blessed-one]

this reminds me of the saying, that for some things, God allows it to happen.
so it isn't that there has to be a reason behind anything (what is the reason for my eating cereal for breakfast and hearing about my primary school teacher through a letter from a primary school friend who is overseas?)

just cautioning you here, as some people get roped all over when they think too deep rather than just take the lesson on the surface. For example, you said your son was sound asleep when you got back home and that you were annoyed? perhaps God's teaching you patience, and to simply love your son and husband even when things don't seems to go your way.

 

[Beauty4Ashes]

perhaps God's teaching you patience, and to simply love your son and husband even when things don't seems to go your way.

Good call.

I often say "everything happens for a reason" and I hope it's true or else most of my life thus far that I don't see the point in, especially pain, would have no purpose, and therefore be a waste. Even though God may not cause everything to happen, I believe even every bad thing Good can turn around and use it for God. "What satan means for evil, God uses for good" or however that verse goes.

God bless and good luck on your quest of life.

 

[seangoh]

thought about why me bumping into my friend could have been significant, because she is someone with who I have been witnessing to and praying for, I guess only God knows.

Do you have any thoughts on this, or experiences that have made you think?

love - Nicky

WOW!!! Now you are talking!! I have EXACTLY the same experiences you have. Well i don't know whether i should call them experiences, but i do have a strong sense that God brings people to my life for a reason. The greatest experiences i had was in university when one day, i could meet up to 3 of my friends on the big campus whom i've not caught up with for some time. And the reason i could meet them all was because i (or the spirit moved me) decided to go to the library. I strongly believe that God has allowed me to meet them through circumstances such as this. BUT it doesn't mean that once meeting them, then the connection is over and they'll be saved. NO. Our meeting is just an opportunity to witness and allow the friendship to develop overtime. We will not fulfill God's will of saving lost souls if we stop maintaining those friendships or somehow "lost contact" as we call it. Why so? Because not only God and his angels are working on this earth, but satan and his agencies are too. It's a struggle between good and evil, the great controversy. Souls are to be saved from the clutches of the evil one. And time is not on our side if we sit back and get lazy from maintaining those friendships that God has allowed us to develop in the first place.

I am continually amazed at such "coincidences" that i have come to believe that they were not merely just coincidences. It has strengthened my faith that God is real indeed. Your departure from that group of friends was certainly not wasted since you met this friend along the way.

And to your main question on whether everything happens for a reason. There is a great controversy and both forces are working hard. I believe these forces can communicate or influence/prompt us through our minds and it is the daily decisions that we have over these choices that makes us who we are and the "coincidences" that we may encounter. IOW, everything has been set up already by either side and sometimes we can go entirely God's will or go entirely Satan's will but most of the time we will go in between and that's where the controversy between good and evil gets really messy and complicated. So i can follow God's will one day and the next i follow the other way and God has to have plan B in place so that i can get back on track. Now multiply that with the many wrong decisions that we make in our lifetime. Imagine just how many plan Bs God has to come up with! And of course, Satan has his share of plan Bs too. The whole thing just becomes a complex mess! wow, talking about this really makes me on fire..hehe..but i hope you get what i mean. It's the most plausible theory i've came up with so far and thinking about it just blows my mind.

 

[jeffs_girl_2004]

See I tend to agree with you cause I have had a couple situations in my life that I thought were just terrible at the time but now looking back I think wow God really does have a plan for us. One thing that I mainly think about all the time was 5 years ago my parents decided to up and move the whole family 50 miles southeast of my home town that I had lived in all my life. My dad got offered a better job and they decided that we needed to take it. The worst part of it was that I was going to be a junior in high school when we moved and we had lived in the same house all of my life so it was really bad to me. Now though I see that God had a plan for us not only as a family but me too. So yeah I think God has his reasons for doing things and he has his hand in everything.

 

[Endure2]

heres what little ol me thinks.

there is a reason why everything that happens, does.

but not everything that happens, should have.

we are OUT of the will of God, quite often. so aparantly, just becuase there is a reason why everything happens, doesnt mean it was meant to be or should have been, or it was Gods will.

alot happens that God never intended to happen, and doesnt want to happen.
the bible says that God desires all to be saved, but that doesnt happen.
so, there is no Godly reason why anyone goes to hell, he didnt want them there. so, "not everything happens for a reason."

there such things as BAD decisions, and wrong choices.

though i think we can all think back and remember times when something crasy was going on, but it was actually God working. but that isnt always the case. and yes God can take any situation and make it a good one, but it doesnt mean that was his original plan.

i dont think anyone is on plan A of their life.
some of us, like myself, are on plan M, N, or P...i think.
but im Glad God does have a plan B... and many many more, forever and ever.
but God doesnt desire us to need them.

 

[HumbleBee]

Nikicarol

#1 What first comes to mind is that verse in Genesis, how Joseph said of God's Sovereignty over his brothers majorly mistreating him. Same applies Niki, was not at all right for your hubby to draw you out of Bible study for no reason, yet God worked His good and gave you a Divine Appointment!

Genesis 50:20 But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good...

#2 In my humble opinion, I do not think that incident was God teaching you patience. You were plenty justified at being annoyed with your husband, who made you miss spiritual nourishment and refreshment! So be on guard about his scheming when you out for Bible study etc. Pray God's blessings on him, that he be a Divine instrument and not otherwise.

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Ephesians 6:10-12 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

 

[repentandbelieve]

True or False. Everything that happens is according to Gods will.

 

[Endure2]

thats false.
very clearly false.
or else there would be no such thing as being out of the will of God, or sin.

 

[Nikicarol]

I agree - not everything that happens is the will of God. This is because we have free will. God does know what decisions we are going to make and how other people's decisions are going to effect our lives as well.

I think that God can make good things happen because of bad things, that isn't to say that God intended the bad thing to happen in the first place, just that God can rescue a situation and make good come of it.

I am one person who can look back on my life and think wow, loads of bad things have happened, but look how it's all come together. Whoever said about the divine appointments - yes I believe that, and many times I have specifically thought about a certain person usually someone I haven't seen for a while, and very shortly after - there they are!! I know one time it was a friend from school who I hadn't seen in years, I hadn't hardly thought about her, until this day, and there she was and we ended up chatting over coffee with me witnessing to her.

love - Nicky

 

[Imagine9718]

I believe everything happens for a reason, and God has everything planned out. I dont believe in coincidences.

 

[rubberduckie]

REad Ecclesiastes, great book!!! "There is a time for everything under the sun.. a time to be born and a time to die...." And all things work out for the good of those who believe in His name

 

[Imagine9718]

I agree - but an important thing to keep in mind, is that the book Eccl. was written Before Christ, meaning there was not much promotion of the afterlife. So that is why King Solomon is so philisophical about the who situations he speaks of.

 

[Endure2]

the thing is, the bible says we can GRIEVE the holyspirit.
and if that is something that can happen, then apparently no not everything we do is ordained by God.
you can hurt Gods feelings, becuase God is a very personal emotional being who gives out love, and when it is rejected, becuase it was love, God can feel rejected. though hes God, and hell be fine without you, though hed like for you to be with him.

and if God can be greived, then no not everything that happens was according to his will.

God doesnt desire anyone to go to hell, the bible makes it plain that he desires all to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. there is no one who God doesnt want to go to heavon, God doesnt will for anyone to be in hell, but people are there.

 

[OracleX]

I think of it in this way.

God is control of everything, and knows everything that has, and will happen. God has a plan for our lives. God is interested in the small details of our life.

So ...

In my opinion, everything does happen for a reason. My abusive childhood happened for a reason. Getting married happened for a reason. Stubbing my toe on my daughters toy happened for a reason. This thread was started for a reason. Reguardless of how small and insignificant it seems, everything has a purpose.

Everything has its purpose. Some for good and some for evil. God plans and purposely puts good things in our lives for reasons. He also allows evil to cross our path as well for reasons. We have been given free will for a reason and that is to excecise it to love and give glory to God.

To me, if everything does't not have a purpose and things are just happening at random with no reason, then choas seems to play a role in our lives. God is not a God of chaos, although we may not understand His was. Nothing is random, God is control.

 

[Endure2]

so... do you think the children who die from child abuse were just supposed to? that that is what God wanted? and God controlled it all?

im not trying to argue with you, but people are in hell and going to hell everyday, no i dont think God is in control of everything or that all he desires comes to pass does, or people wouldnt be there.

regardless of what God knows or doesnt know is going to happen, i think God desires all people everywhere to know him, but this doesnt happen.

this is just how i feel about this, im not trying to agrue, but,
i dont think ill ever believe God is in absolute control of everything, becuase things happen that i will never believe God intended to happen, for several reasons.

 

[Nikicarol]

God gave us all free will to do as we please, in our case we choose to try and follow the will of God and not our will. As we follow the will of God I believe that he can put us in situations just at the right place and the right moment, for us everything does happen for a reason.

God won't control those people that don't believe in him, but he can guide us who willingly give ourselves over to Him. He knows everything but he will never crash the party - he wants to be invited!