Christians, do you believe everything happens for a reason?

Question

Or in other words, whatever happens is of God`s will? If that is so you are making a very general statement (Everything) that applies to any and all situations.

Therefore kids get molested and abused for a reason. Genocides and Atrocites happen for a reason. The fly landed on top of my head for a reason. Not only that but saying that everything happens for a reason takes the stance of "Hard Determinism," which is not compatible with free will. A contradiction to say the least.
Perhaps you don`t believe everything happens for a reason. But, I usually hear Christians subscribing to this train of thought. Is this a fair assessment of the Christian belief? In that everything happens for a reason?

Answer 1

Man you touched a sore subject for me. I used to believe that things happened for a reason or because of some greater plan etc. But, anyone who thinks logically has to ask the question you did. I have fairly recently come to believe that we all are responsible for our own reality. We and our thoughts bring or attract to ourselves the good, the bad and the ugly.

Answer 2

I believe everything happens for a reason but we do have free will. God already knows the choices we are going to make and everything fits into a specific plan based on the decisions everyone in the world has made or will make from the beginning until the end. Remember, He is everywhere all at the same time. The hairs on your head are numbered. There is a time to die. Your choices can shorten your days.

Answer 3

Everything has to happen for a reason, but everything that happens is not Gods will, Its not Gods will that someone drive drunk and hit another car, its not Gods will that people get high on drugs and kill the innocent. The million people in jail in america is not Gods will, people have freewill, and they don't follow the Bible, When someone drives drunk and hits somebody else both pay the price for one mistake. If we were all doing what the Bibles says obviously there would be a lot less people getting hurt. Love thy neighbor as thyself, that would change the world in an instant, do unto others as you would have them do unto you, People today don't want to hear about the Bible, they want to do it their way, not Gods way, the Churchs are shrinking, while every major violent crime is up, drugs are out of control, the feds cannot build enough prisons to put everybody in. This crime wave really took off in the sixties.It hasn't stopped. Everything does happen for a reason, and its usually for the wrong one.

Answer 4

not everything that happens is done by God's will. in fact, most things aren't. ''hard determinism,'' or fatalism, is not a part of christian belief. there's predestination, but that's a whole different topic, and the christian definition of the word is probably not the same as the one in your head. what i, as a christian, believe, is that every experience we have as human beings can be benefitted from in some way or another. for example, my dad beat me up a lot when i was a kid. i have a scar in my eyebrow, under my chin, and on the inside of my bottom lip as a result. the benefit of that experience is that i know exactly how much i *don't* want to do that with *my* kids. that has pushed me to want to be the very best father that i can be. plus i can take a punch. lol.

Answer 5

I think it is important to understand that there is a difference between God's will and Man's will. God did grant humans the gift of Free Agency, that means that they can impose there will on someone or somethng if they so choose. Christians believe that they should seek out God's will and use there free agency to do God's will. Not everything happens because God wants it to happen. He does not want bad things to happen, but God, in my opinion, is an optimist and we can always choose how we view the bad things in the world. Did it happen because God imposed it? No, we know that God does not do evil, can we accept that it may be his will that we have to suffer a little in life until we can get back to Him, yes. It is part of a greater plan for all of us to grow, overcome our trials and eventually return to Him to live in peace. We must understand that this world is a place for everyone to excercise free will, and those who use it righteosly will be rewarded, those who wrongfully use it will not be rewarded and may even be punished, so it is our duty to align our will with God's wil which is to love and serve.

Answer 6

Everything DOES happen for a reason. What the reason is that is the question and only rational, logical, scientific answers satisfies the sane person. For example, I reach for the coffee cup on my desk, bump it. It falls to the floor and breaks. I was clumsy when I reached to the cup. Why maybe I’m tied, my arthritis is flaring up, or both. The cup falls to the floor because of gravity. Gravity has enough pull on the cup that the kinetic energy is enough to break the poorly made cup. NO God involved! This is a example for the simple people posting here.

Answer 7

I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason because it happened to me. But I do understand your flow of thought.

1. Kids get molested and abused because there are people who would rather use their "free will" to do evil instead of good. It is a reality that crimes happen everywhere BUT it doesn't mean that God was behind any of this. For me, the reason for these things to happen is for us to: have stricter laws against these crimes and for those in power to do something about them. A firm reason that as human beings we are defenseless unless we seek for God's help and protection. It is truly sad and heartbreaking that these things have to happen for a reason.
2. We are human beings and less superior of the Almighty. We cannot truly comprehend every thing that's happening around us that's why we hold on to our faith - faith that will tell us to trust in the Lord despite the sad occurrences.
3. God cascaded our lives for a reason. It is our faith in Him that will lead us to His reason.

Answer 8

The Bible says in Ecclesiastes that ¨time and unforseen occurrence befalls them all.¨

That means that bad things can even if the only thing you did was that you were in the wrong spot at the wrong time.

Things just happen , and so obviously it is not Gods will if when crossing the street you got hit by a bus.

Additionally the Bible is clear that this is not Gods world.
Thats right , it says that ''the whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one''.
The wicked one is Satan , and we are living in his wicked system of things.

''ALL'' of the horrible things that are going on in the world today are caused either directly or indirectly by Satan and his demons and his human followers that reject the true God Jehovah.

God doesn't test people or provide them with problems and he does promise to help us to cope with the trials in life that we experience ,, but only as long as our life is in harmony with the truth according to what is written in the Bible.

For more Bible based information plz feel free to email me.

Answer 9

even when i wasn't a christian, i have always felt everything happens for a reason. i don't get as petty as "a fly on my head". of course every one has a right to their own opinion. i will say that for a child to get molested there was a reason. do i know what it was? no! possibilities could be 1) that child will grow up to be some kind of counselor. (what better encourager then one that has actually gone through what their trying to help the next person with)
2)that incident can bring ppl to Christ. (i know you don't want to hear this, but God will allow whatever means necessary to get ppl saved)
God knows who can bare what situation even though we have no clue why something happened!

Answer 10

No, we believe what the Bible teaches, that all things work for good, for those who love the Lord. Which means that we are able to understand when negative things come our way. The Lord created the world and gave it the capacity for independent function. When a hurricane comes our way we don't say the Lord sent it, but rather, we understand that certain conditions in the atmosphere caused this event. The proper thing to do is to call on God for protection. But we don't blame God for this natural occurrence. It's important for us to study theology, to reflect on God and his activity in our lives and the world. Usually, when people struggle with doubts and questions such as yours, it's their theology that's wrong and never God.