What About Luck?
The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord. (Proverbs 16:33)
Early in my ministry, I visited an elderly woman at the hospital. I cannot remember what concerned the doctors, but she was given good news and told she would recover. Without enough theological sensitivity, I said, “I am so happy for you. It sounds like you were very lucky.” She gave me a severe look and stated, “I don’t believe in luck. I believe in God’s divine hand.” The best theologians are those who live their faith with daily spiritual reflection. I’ve struggled with the difference between luck and divine providence throughout my ministry.
The definition of God’s providence is: “God’s caring provision for the people as God guides them in their journey of faith through life, accomplishing God’s purpose in them.” I struggle with divine providence because it seems unjust. For every older adult who gets good news at the hospital, there is a toddler with stage 4 cancer. If you live in the first world, with the opportunity for an education, loving people in your life, and a certain level of safety in your living space, you are blessed. Did God bless you at the expense of those less fortunate, or were you lucky due to happenstance?
The struggle between luck and providence does not have an easy answer if you take faith in God seriously. Yet again, the way of dealing with issues I cannot rationally explain is by leaning on faith. I do not need a simple, dogmatic answer to every divine decision God makes. I am not sure my simple, human brain could not comprehend an answer even if God spoke from a cloud and verbally gave me an answer. There are several Biblical examples of rational inconsistencies we humans struggle to understand.
In my faith journey, I must regularly remind myself that it is arrogance to expect God to create and sustain the universe in a manner simple enough for me to comprehend. Today, prayerfully ask God to guide your faith through the frustrations of trusting what you cannot prove. Instead of seeking proof, seek a divine relationship. Relationship with God is proof of the sacred One’s existence and ongoing participation in our lives. Relationship with God is more meaningful than finding out how much God intervenes and our level of human luck.