Over the last month, since my Grandma passed away, I have been thinking about this phrase "everything happens for a reason". The longer that I have pondered the phrase, the more and more I believe it's a lie. Not just any lie, but a lie that satan feeds us to hide his schemes, that turns us towards apathy, and a lie to make God look bad.
To say that everything happens for a reason is to say that God says "it's okay for this to happen because I have a reason for this". In such a conclusion that means God is saying there was a reason you were raped. You were beat for a reason. You were addicted to cocaine for a reason. You lost your entire family for a reason. That child was abused for a reason. Which is to say that God is 'ok' with these events happening, that He allows these events to happen, and that He has no desire to change these events. Now, I'm not sure which Bible you've read BUT that ALL GOES AGAINST the character of God. From beginning to cover, God is a God who cares for, shows compassion on, protects and wants what's the best for HIS children.
So, even if God is supreme ruler, why do these things happen?? Because right now, Satan holds the keys to earth and he is continually on the prowl to cause choas, death, destruction and lies. And people believe him, fall into his traps and are sometimes satan's hands & feet to carry out the torment. Why? Because they don't know who God is, they don' tknow who Jesus is. And if they don't know (or they have known and rejected Him), how are they to call on His name and invite Him into their lives/situations? See the beautiful and frustrating thing with God is that it's not in His character to barge in. He is a gentleman. He will give you the choice when things are going well, when the boat is sinking, when your life is upside, or when things are status quo...He ALWAYS gives the choice. By having given us free will, the risk was run that some people won't love Him and won't turn to Him (but when they do it is genuine, not forced).
Even with that free will, that doesn't mean that God EVER wanted pain (of any kind) to come into our lives. In the garden, God gave them everything and that's what He still wants to do for us today. But when people reject Him and don't turn to Him, He can't control them. Because of the wickedness in the world, and the people who don't trust Him, bad things happen. People are raped, abused, neglected, poor, hurting, apathetic, etc, etc, etc. BUT it didn't happen for a reason (unless that reason is that satan is a butt and enjoys destroying lives). BUt NONE of it happened because God wanted it to.
However, even when rough times and painful times come into out lives, God can purpose them and use them for good. He can use the crap that satan throws at us to make us stronger and better and more meaningful BUT that is not the REASON that ALL bad things happen. I'm not saying that there aren't trials from GOd (because there are) BUT nothing that comes to kill, steal and destroy is from GOd in ANY capacity b/c it goes against his character. Nor is any disease or circumstance that comes about from out poor choices from God either. If you decide to have unprotected sex and you get an STD, that's not God's fault. That's your fault. God can heal you, God can use those experiences and give them purpose but God did not CAUSE them. THe same with drinking, eating, shopping, money, business, etc.
All that to say that everything DOES NOT happen for a reason. Some things were NOT meant to happen. And that is NOT just the way it should be. Stand up to lie. Don't let satan have any more ground than he already does.
