The Bible gives clear direction that we have free will. But the Bible also shows instances in which God, in his sovereignty, acts in ways that seem to be in opposition to free will.
The statement "Everything happens for a reason" seems to suggest that God is in control of EVERYTHING.
When was a time when you saw God clearly at work in your life?
Can you think of a time when something happened and you could not see a reason at all?
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
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I often can see God at work in my life after-the-fact. For example, it seems that every job-change for my wife or myself seems to be the work of God. When a door was closed on an opportunity for Nikki to go into business with her sister, we were confused and frustrated. But God provided a new job for Nikki that was much better. Looking back, it was clearly for the best.
Even my decision to come to CLUMC seemed to be God's work. The timing seemed to me to be absolutely terrible! I had just started a new ministry that was going well at my other church and my wife was 9 months pregnant, so we were worried about changing insurance and all that. But God worked EVERYTHING out "for the good of those who love him." It is amazing to me the way that God works in our lives, answering our prayers, when we don't know it.
I always had a close relationship with my older sister Janet, talking on the phone almost daily, but I did not have a close relationship with my sister Julie. We were always competitive growing up and were cordial as adults, but not close. Recently, around November timeframe, my sister Julie came in town and I invited her to church with me. Something happened and we just clicked and started talking on the phone daily and having great conversations. For a Christmas gift, she gave me tickets for us to go to the Chris Tomlin concert together. In January, my other sister Janet was diagnosed with breast cancer. I strongly believe that God has his hands in this and that he brought all of us closer together for a reason. Somebody asked me what I did to heal my relationship with my sister Julie. I tell them that it wasn't me, it was God.
I think that a lot of times people don't recognize God working in their lives. I think it's helpful to keep a prayer journal so you can look back and see how God has worked in your life, that you otherwise would have taken for granted.
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