No Such Thing as Luck
I’ve been hearing a lot of “you’re so lucky!” and “it must be fate!” lately. I think they are fun concepts (like four leaf clovers, fortune cookies, and rabbit’s feet), and likely tend to make us feel better because they are tangible. A deep duality that has always fascinated me is the fact that while I know God is in control, we somehow are supposed to have free will. I struggle with this. Does that mean no matter what we do, what is meant to be, will be? Are we really making our own decisions, or does God make us think we are doing what we want when, in reality, nothing we do will really matter because he’ll always work it out the way he wants?
I’m not going to lie – I don’t have the brainpower to delve as deep into these mysteries as I would need to in order to come to a solid conclusion. All I have is experience to guide my point of view.
Without getting too deep into the detail weeds, I can tell you for the past month I’ve been going through some…stuff. Yes, stuff that I cannot currently reveal to our readers, but will likely disclose in a future blog. It’s been a whirlwind of ups and downs and what ifs and maybes. But in this tornado of queries and unknowns, I’ve found peace. Let me illustrate just a handful of lessons I’ve learned along with a corresponding verse that spoke to me on the topic.
There’s no such thing as luck.
Proverbs 16:33 – “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.”
“Luck” is the term given to something that happens that you don’t really have an explanation for. This is mostly true for those who don’t believe in God, or haven’t developed a close enough understanding of his desire “to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11). I call it guidance of the Holy Spirit.
In the case of the situation I find myself in, I was looking for something that just didn’t seem to materialize no matter how hard I searched. I soon grew weary, agitated, and apathetic. I simply didn’t care anymore. I was no longer methodical. I acted in a scattershot way, hoping something would come along to meet my needs. I prayed. And prayed. And prayed some more.
When it did materialize, I felt it. Something inside me said, “You better get up and get to it, or the chance will pass you by. Don’t be lazy and wish – go and do as the Spirit guides you.” While I don’t have a clear answer yet, I can promise you there’s no such thing as luck. God seeks to give His children good things…according to HIS WILL. No matter how badly we desire something, desire alone is not enough. Which leads me to my second point…
Prayer must be constant.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 – “pray continually…”
Talk about a short verse! But in these two words lies the most important instruction one could receive for just about any situation one could find themselves in. You cannot just pray for something once and assume it’ll happen like magic. I wrote about this in a past blog. There will be a handful of times when you’ll request something of God and the answer comes so fast it seems like an Amazon Prime delivery. Trust me, I wish what I’m currently experiencing would require but one prayer. I’m sure you’ve felt this way multiple times in your life. But many times, it’s not a simple as yes, no, maybe; it's even worse – not right now.
Patience is tough. There are many ways to cope with waiting. Unfortunately, it seems praying is at the bottom of our list. We’d rather distract ourself with TV, food, alcohol, or something else before we even stop to think, “I better talk to God about this.” I’m not talking about a one-and-done. I’m talking every step of the journey. Pray when you get an answer you like, when the answer leaves you depressed, and when the answer has you stuck in limbo. Thank God. Talk to Him about why you’re mad at Him for something turning out like you wished it hadn’t. Ask Him to enable your heart to take whatever comes next. No matter what you’re feeling or hoping for, just PRAY.
Hardships reveal who matters.
Proverbs 27:9 – “Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice.”
Facing tough situations by yourself should be illegal. It makes you feel hopeless, crabby, and like you aren’t going to make it through. We need people to be there so we can run thoughts and opinions by them to make sure it’s “not just us.” We don’t need yes men/women – we need true friends who will relate their stories to ours and let us know how they handled it and what they learned from a similar situation.
I’ve had a lot of people check in on me during this uncertain time, and it always makes me smile a little when they remember what I’m going through. This life is crazy and hectic, so when someone takes just a smidge of time to think of someone other than themselves, it reminds me God often sends us His help through other people, not just the Holy Spirit.
Through this experience, God has taught me I have developed a network of genuinely good people who care about me deeply.
Whether or not things turn out the way I hope they will, I’m reminded there’s no such thing as luck – only circumstances God creates to reveal to you His awesome power and will for your life.
