A comment I hear often is “everything happens for a reason.” This general statement, while certainly meant compassionately, is so indefinite it offers very little comfort. People often don’t know what to say when faced with painful situations, and feel comfortable repeating “everything happens for a reason” because we’ve heard it repeatedly and believe it’s somewhere in the Bible! However, this statement more accurately fits gnostic Eastern fatalism not Christian faith in God’s goodness.
Every indefinite statement contains a bit of truth. Certainly there’s a reason for everything, but expressed so vaguely, the “reason” becomes whatever anyone wants it to be. The question that follows is, “What is God’s reason for allowing this bad thing?” This unfortunately implies that God is to blame for consequences of our sinful choices, or the presence of sin in the world.
The overall reason for life’s difficulties is simple: sin. Sin is why work is hard and never enough. Sin is why people selfishly hurt themselves and others. Sin is why we hurt physically, grow old and die.
Because there simply isn’t any way for finite human beings to fully grasp the complex and infinitely loving activity of infinite God, we try to explain our circumstances with vague clichés that we’re hard pressed to defend Biblically if challenged. Often, because we haven’t learned about the power given to us in Christ, we fail to diminish the impact of sin by using our God-given authority. Instead of, “Why would God allow this?” we should ask, “Why did I allow or choose this?”
Difficult things happen because sin contaminates every atom of our world. God’s merciful power guarantees that benefit will come out of every situation for those who have said ‘yes’ to God’s salvation: receiving God’s love; choosing, talking and acting more like Jesus every day. (Romans 8:28) Scripture frequently addresses the role of trials and temptations in spiritual and emotional maturity. The issue is never the intensity of the difficulty; but rather how we choose to respond to God and others in the difficulty.
James 1:12-18: “Let no one say when tried, ‘I am tempted from God; for God is incapable of being tempted by evil and He Himself tempts no one.’ Rather, every person is tempted…enticed and baited by his own evil lust and passion. When evil desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin. Sin, fully matured, brings forth death. Do not be misled… Every good, perfect and free gift is from above; coming from the Father of all who gives light; in the shining of Whom there can be no rising, setting, or shadow cast by His turning…It was of His own free will that He gave us birth as sons…” There are unchangeable spiritual principles we can always count on: God is always good; working for our benefit in every situation God never fails to keep His Word God is inherently holy. He works within the evil caused by sin, but never instigates evildoing.
God’s perfect, righteous character never changes. When we hear the statement, “everything happens for a reason,” we can confidently say, “The reason every bad thing happens is sin. The reason good comes from every bad thing is that God loves us and is always faithful to do His good work, helping us grow up. That’s the reason.”
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