Does Everything Happen for A Reason?

They say everything happens for a reason.

But what if it doesn’t?

We humans are creatures that like to be able to give purpose to every event, but I’m not so sure life works that way.

Yes - I think we can learn something from everything we experience good or bad. We grow, become more mature. But did it always happen for a reason? I don’t think so.

To say that God willfully controls all these bad things that happen in our lives paints a very different picture of God than I know. We live in a broken world where sin results in broken beings doing broken things to each other. Our bodies break down, selfishness leads to broken relationships and broken dreams. I can’t say that all this brokenness happens for a purpose.

I can say that I have a relationship with a loving God that uses brokenness to draw me closer to Him. To give me cause to trust Him more. To help me continually anticipate a day when there will be no more sin, pain and brokenness. He may work every situation that I experience for good (Rom 8:28), but not every situation is good.

It’s only human for us to want to have good reason for why we experience the painful situation we did.

It gives us a sense of control. A sense of order.

But the story of humanity is one that lost control when it sought to gain it.

I just believe in a God big enough to allow bad things to happen outside of his perfect will for our lives, and still trust that he has perfection waiting for me on the other side.