Christian Fatalism
By TNSr5r@unseen.is, January, 2014
I hear the question/issue almost every day: “What is God trying to teach me by putting me through these circumstances?” Or maybe, “…by sending me to prison?”
First, personally, I don’t believe that God sent me to prison. Second, personally, I don’t think that God sent me to prison because he couldn’t teach me some specific lesson in any other way. Third, generally, I really don’t believe that Scripture teaches that God sends bad things or hard times to teach people lessons. Fourth, generally, God often sends believers into circumstances (good AND bad) to be in place for someone else’s need or benefit.
First, I don’t believe that God sent me to prison. I believe that I started on a path back in 1990 which had the risk of getting negative attention from the IRS. As soon as I started helping others fight the IRS, I was in danger. I thought about that a lot before launching. My wife and I prayed about it a lot. And we both concluded certain facts: that we must follow this course of action; that it was to benefit others who could not help themselves; that it was legal and lawful; and that it was our only option if we wanted to maintain our integrity after studying the issues as much as we studied them. At that time, I believed that the greatest risk was a felony conviction resulting in 5-8 years in prison for me, but no prison time for Bonnie. We decided to move ahead and run that risk back in 1990. It was our decision, and my actions, that resulted in me being in prison. God did not send me there; a dishonest prosecutor and an ineffective defense sent me there.
Second, I don’t think God sent me (or anyone) to prison to teach me (or us) something that he could not have taught me (or us) on the outside. It is an easy thing to predict in advance or perceive after the fact certain actions or behaviors that will result from prison influences, and it would be an easy thing to cling to one or more of them in explanation for my going to prison. It would probably be impossible to choose one of those actions or results and claim with confidence and spiritual authority that THIS is why God sent me to prison, but I could select several of the perceived benefits, or even all of them, and claim that they were why God sent me here. Most people would make a list of all positive results of being in prison, and refer to that list as answer to the above question.
Most people HAVE to have a logical explanation for their bad circumstances in life to which they can point in order to maintain their faith in the love and goodness of God.
But think about it, folks. Job was going through life enjoying EVERYTHING because EVERYTHING was awesome. Then God bumped into Satan at the mall and bragged about Job to Satan. And then Satan set about destroying Job’s life. When Satan was
finished taking Job’s health and everything good away from him, and Job asked God “Why?” God NEVER answered Job and NEVER justified allowing Satan to destroy Job.
Look again at Scripture. There was NOTHING Job needed to learn, yet his life was destroyed anyway. Perhaps the only thing Job learned by going through his horrible circumstances was the fact that God had the right to do anything he darn well pleases with and to any of us. But anyone who points that out to us scares the crap out of all of us, and paints God as being a mean and vicious God.
Of course, we like to remember the last part of Job’s life where things were better than they ever were before. We like that because it allows us to hope that if we go through anything like Job did, well, at least things would be better after all the dust settled and the blood dried.
But there was no lesson for Job to learn; there was nothing God wanted to teach Job that required such destruction and pain. I mean, read the first 3 verses of Job again:
“This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil… He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.” [Job 1:1-3, in part, NIV]
Job was blameless before God, and then Job went through hell.
Most people claim that Job had too much pride and needed to learn a lesson. I believe that such claims are based in ignorance and the NEED TO FIND A REASON. Please notice that it was not Job who claimed “he was the greatest man among all the people of the earth,” which has been falsely claimed by many — it was the narrator of the story who made that claim as he was describing Job. Scripture gives no evidence at all of any sin in Job’s life, and no evidence at all of any need to be taught any lessons.
Third, I don’t believe Scripture teaches that God sends bad things or bad circumstances into the lives of believers to teach them spiritual truths. There may be many good things that believers learn when they experience bad events and bad circumstances, but I see no passage that teaches this as one of God’s teaching tools.
In fact, I see just the opposite. Bad things happen. Period.
“He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends the rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” [Matthew 5:45, NIV]
“…for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” [Matthew 5:45, KJV]
“…for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” [Matthew 5:45, NASB]
Bad things happen!
Sometimes those bad things come from God. And no amount of positive thinking or self-help is going to remove a really bad day when that really bad day is sent by God. Further, no amount of lessons learned will take that bad day away.
But most Christians NEED to see a reason for bad things or bad circumstances!
Most Christians NEED to believe that God has a reason behind the horrors of their lives in order to for them to continue in faith, believing in a loving and gracious God! Most Christians today would NEVER survive Job’s experience! Most Christians today would follow the advice of one of Job’s friends to “Curse God and die!”
It is hard, or even impossible, for most Christians to believe that God would allow bad things to happen without making them better. It is even more difficult for them to believe that God just might SEND bad things.
Fourth, God sometimes sends believers into bad circumstances to have them in place for the benefit of someone else. Remember, Paul commented once that it would be better for him to go home to heaven, but it would be better for others that he remain on this earth in bad circumstances. So Paul chose to remain. Remember also, in the Garden, Jesus just plain didn’t want to go through the whole crucifixion thing, including being separated from his Father. Yet he submitted to it because of the unbelievable benefit to the entire world.
I have learned to say each morning as I awake: “I am but a pawn in God’s Great Chess game. I wonder what move he has for me today!” I have learned that living this way allows for each day to be exciting and fulfilling, regardless of being in prison; regardless of ANY circumstances! And I have also learned that sometimes pawns get sacrificed.
But, as Paul said in Romans:
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” [Romans 8:28, NIV]
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. [Romans 8:28, KJV]
It does not say that God CAUSES ALL THINGS; it says that God causes all things to work together for our good and his glory. Sometimes that means the Father causes my circumstances to work together for my good. Sometimes that means he causes my circumstances to work together for someone else’s good. No matter what, SOMEONE gains eternal benefits from my circumstances. And I can live with that!
The question here is not “What should I learn here?” but “How can I be used here?”
And God has used me greatly in prison in ways that are very exciting, and I will always treasure my time spent here.
No, I will NEVER like prison! No, I will NEVER believe that I deserved coming here or my prison sentence. No, I will NEVER believe that prison was a good thing for me.
But I will always treasure the opportunities I have had to touch the lives of men who are hurting and struggling and trying to see God in all of this.
And there are a lot of believers here; some preachers, some Bible College professors, some sincere Christians who just don’t know how God could allow them to go to prison when they believe they were innocent, and ESPECIALLY many men who believe that God no longer has a use for them and has discarded them.
And I have the privilege and the thrill and the honor of talking with these men and of helping them to see how God still wants to use them, and of helping them grow in ALL their lives’ circumstances.
There are too many examples in Scripture to mention all of them; of good people going through bad experiences with no clear explanation from God. If we go back to Daniel, we see that he believed God COULD keep him alive, but NOT that God WOULD keep him alive. I believe that Scripture indicates that Daniel expected to die that day, and he was at peace with it. When God finally DID keep him alive, Daniel gave God the credit for his miracle and received a job promotion! Undoubtedly, God keeping Daniel alive got people’s attention. But if you read the entire story again carefully, you will see that it was Daniel’s attitude all through the process (as well as all through his captivity) that so impressed the Chaldean ruler that Daniel was promoted after he partied with some lions and angels.
Something similar happened to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They suffered a death sentence and survived, and that got them attention. I believe Scripture indicates the men believed they were going to die that day, and they faced it with godly attitudes. And a careful reading of the passage shows that it was their attitudes, that day and all through their captivity, which got them promotions and made their lives better.
They were (all 4 of them) in cast in very bad circumstances, and they were (all 4 of them) manifesting an attitude of loving and serving and worshipping God through it all.
And they were (all 4 of them) NEVER given an explanation by God!
God wanted that attitude more than anything. And when they survived their death sentences, did God free them and allow them to go home? No. But God did give them promotions and other benefits.
And God used their hearts, shown by their attitudes, to touch other people’s lives!
I am convinced that God is not situational in his perspective, but attitudinal. What I mean is, God is less concerned about our circumstances than he is about our attitudes IN our circumstances. It takes the supernatural grace of God to face bad circumstances with the right attitudes. And it is those right attitudes that affect the hearts and lives of those around us.
Yes, surviving a death sentence gets attention. But that only sells tickets. It is the heartfelt attitude of “Yet though he slay me, I will still serve him” which Job showed that touches hearts and brings people to God.
God is more concerned that I face each day as his Ambassador, ready for his use, than he is that I am in prison serving an unjustified sentence. I may have to deal with being in prison, but it is in being in prison that I get the joy of touching the lives of these men.
WHERE I am is merely SO THAT God can use me in the life of someone here!