The one thing we definitely tend to get superstitious in our faith about is when things in life go wrong. And if things go wrong consecutively...oh my gosh...then we definitely read into every last detail to try figure out why!
We assume that if things go wrong, especially consecutively, then God must be trying to speak to us. "Something is probably not right in my life and I need to figure out how to fix it."
Why do we assume this?! Why is it our first reaction?!
We live healthy, prosperous lives where life is pretty good. And when we bump into a little trouble, we all of a sudden assume because life isn't easy sailing this week, like it was last week, then something must be wrong with our faith walk! God must be trying to talk to us!
Have you ever considered what this type of mentality says about people out there who live much tougher lives???? If a kid was born an orphan, got adopted by pedafiles, ran away from home only to live homeless for the rest of his life...what are we saying about him? That God is allowing that to happen to him because He's trying to speak to him about something that's wrong? OF COURSE NOT!! We would NEVER say that!! So then what's the difference?
A kid who grew up in a poor community with no food, no shoes and no education...we would say that's just the way life is...perhaps "after sin entered the world."
But me, who lives in a thriving market ecomony, where I eat like a king, spend money like it grows on trees and enjoy a very, very abundant life...now if my coffee spills and my boss gets mad and my car runs out of gas on the highway...all within one week...then God MUST be trying to speak to me! "Why's all this happening to me, God?! What's going on?!!"
Perhaps it's just life. Perhaps we're just humans going through life's natural occurances. Perhaps life was intended to have good days and bad days. Perhaps it's true when the Bible says, "In this world you will have trouble, but be courageous, I have overcome the world." John 16:33
I'm just trying to bring a fresh persective to our typical thought processes.
Now I'm assuming many will blame this approach on the "Health and Wealth Gospel" so let me just put in my two cents further (since my mind wanted to question it's connection). I fully believe the Health and Wealth Gospel is a needed Gospel in our world. There definitely is a time and a place for it's message. There definitely are communities and perspectives that desperately need to be encouraged in the prosperity-focused verses in the Bible on a regular basis...
But I think that we middle/upper class members of prospering communities, already are healthy and wealthy...so we really don't need to be focusing soo much on that perspective of the Bible!! We really shouldn't be making it our viewpoint of God's Scripture. God never said we would live "superhuman lives" where life was absolutely perfect. So why are we, already healthy and wealthy people, trying so hard to claim what's already ours even further into our lives?
We are human. We will have bad days. We will see natural human faults, failures, mistakes and problems. It comes with the species. I don't think God or the devil is behind every wrong occurance. We definitely can reach out to God for support and can learn things in the process of our bad days. I think that's exactly why God doesn't just make us superhuman - exempt from anything bad - when we follow Him...because we would never grow if life never gave us opportunity to. Challenges make us stronger, they develop our character, they prove our need for a Savior. But to always assume that bad things are present in life because we are messing up spiritually or because we need to check our faith's status or etc...that is completely amiss!
We assume that if things go wrong, especially consecutively, then God must be trying to speak to us. "Something is probably not right in my life and I need to figure out how to fix it."
Why do we assume this?! Why is it our first reaction?!
We live healthy, prosperous lives where life is pretty good. And when we bump into a little trouble, we all of a sudden assume because life isn't easy sailing this week, like it was last week, then something must be wrong with our faith walk! God must be trying to talk to us!
Have you ever considered what this type of mentality says about people out there who live much tougher lives???? If a kid was born an orphan, got adopted by pedafiles, ran away from home only to live homeless for the rest of his life...what are we saying about him? That God is allowing that to happen to him because He's trying to speak to him about something that's wrong? OF COURSE NOT!! We would NEVER say that!! So then what's the difference?
A kid who grew up in a poor community with no food, no shoes and no education...we would say that's just the way life is...perhaps "after sin entered the world."
But me, who lives in a thriving market ecomony, where I eat like a king, spend money like it grows on trees and enjoy a very, very abundant life...now if my coffee spills and my boss gets mad and my car runs out of gas on the highway...all within one week...then God MUST be trying to speak to me! "Why's all this happening to me, God?! What's going on?!!"
Perhaps it's just life. Perhaps we're just humans going through life's natural occurances. Perhaps life was intended to have good days and bad days. Perhaps it's true when the Bible says, "In this world you will have trouble, but be courageous, I have overcome the world." John 16:33
I'm just trying to bring a fresh persective to our typical thought processes.
Now I'm assuming many will blame this approach on the "Health and Wealth Gospel" so let me just put in my two cents further (since my mind wanted to question it's connection). I fully believe the Health and Wealth Gospel is a needed Gospel in our world. There definitely is a time and a place for it's message. There definitely are communities and perspectives that desperately need to be encouraged in the prosperity-focused verses in the Bible on a regular basis...
But I think that we middle/upper class members of prospering communities, already are healthy and wealthy...so we really don't need to be focusing soo much on that perspective of the Bible!! We really shouldn't be making it our viewpoint of God's Scripture. God never said we would live "superhuman lives" where life was absolutely perfect. So why are we, already healthy and wealthy people, trying so hard to claim what's already ours even further into our lives?
We are human. We will have bad days. We will see natural human faults, failures, mistakes and problems. It comes with the species. I don't think God or the devil is behind every wrong occurance. We definitely can reach out to God for support and can learn things in the process of our bad days. I think that's exactly why God doesn't just make us superhuman - exempt from anything bad - when we follow Him...because we would never grow if life never gave us opportunity to. Challenges make us stronger, they develop our character, they prove our need for a Savior. But to always assume that bad things are present in life because we are messing up spiritually or because we need to check our faith's status or etc...that is completely amiss!
Even Christians are human, not superhumans exempt from the human experience.
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