What Will Be
Posted by: forthright <forthright@...>
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Straight to the Cross
COLUMN: field notes
What Will Be
By Michael E. Brooks
"And we know that all things work together for
good to those who love God, to those who are the
called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)
The taxi driver in Charity, Guyana was talking to
the local preacher as we went to the airport to
leave his city. "I am a fatalist," he said, "what
will be will be." I could not resist entering
their conversation, saying, "You dont believe
that." His reply was firm, "Oh, yes I do, whatever
is going to happen will happen; there is no
changing it." "In that case," I said, "take your
hands off the steering wheel, close your eyes and
keep driving. If you are going to have a wreck it
will happen whether you watch or not; if you are
not going to have a wreck it will not happen even
if your eyes are closed." He thought a minute,
gave a rueful smile, and kept driving, eyes open,
hands on the wheel.
Fatalism is the conviction that we are helpless
before the future it will do as it wills. But
more than that, it is the abdication of
responsibility for the future. I can do nothing to
influence it, therefore why bother trying? Live
for the moment, do what I want; it will all work
out according to the intended purpose. There is
freedom in irresponsibility, and millions seize it
gladly. Let the future take care of itself; we
will live for the present.
But fatalism is obviously flawed. We do influence
our futures, and that of others. A moments
carelessness causes a traffic accident. Without
the careless behavior the accident would not
happen. Science has repeatedly established
causeeffect relationships and our experience
proves them daily. The Bible affirms, "whatever a
man sows, that he will also reap" (Galatians 6:7).
That this is true in physical matters is
indisputable. Its application to the intangible
(spiritual, moral, ethical) is a matter of logic
to the thoughtful person and of faith to the one
who accepts inspiration of Scripture.
However, the fatalist rightly insists no one can
control his future. One may influence it, but he
cannot dictate its outcome. And this becomes a
dilemma to the person of faith who, like Job,
seeks to assure success with right living but
becomes a victim of someone elses consequences.
If my righteousness cannot guarantee me happiness
why should I strive? The righteous does suffer.
"[It rains] on the just and on the unjust"
(Matthew 5:45). Would I not be just as well off
living the life of the unrighteous?
The answer lies in the basic goodness and love of
God, and in his providential power. "All things
work together for good
" This is not the
simplistic statement that everything is good, that
the righteous will never know sorrow or pain. It
is rather the bold faith in God that trusts him to
bring it to a loving conclusion in his own time.
Through sickness, poverty, war, famine or any
other circumstance of life, God is with us. His
love and power assure us that "in whatever state
[we] are, [we can] be content" (Philippians 4:11).
Bad things may happen to us, but they are not the
final conclusion. God is sovereign, and he "is not
mocked" (Galatians 6:7). So we place our trust in
Gods mercy and love, endure patiently "our light
affliction, which is but for a moment" (2
Corinthians 4:17), and "make it our aim...to be
well pleasing to him" (2 Corinthians 5:9).
"If God is for us, who can be against us?
neither death nor life, nor angels nor
principalities nor powers, nor things present nor
things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any
other created thing, shall be able to separate us
from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our
Lord" (Romans 8:31, 38-39).
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