Everything happens for a reason...

[Stephen]

My wife says that from time to time and I immediately respond..."No it doesn't...how can you doctrinally support that!!?" Of course she can't. Is that some protestant notion that has crept into our culture? It is as if someone is saying that God has micromanaged every little event no matter how small it is. As if his foreknowledge of everything somehow takes away our agency and determines every outcome.

I drop a tool on the ground. Was the foreordained to happen in God's plan?

I blow my nose and a little get's on my hand....was that "meant to be"

The line in my estimation should really be... "Many things happen for a reason".

Is there something doctrinally that I am missing that makes that "everything happens for a reason" remark actually hold water?!!

[shadow]

Everything does happen for a reason. If I drop a hammer the reason would most likely be that I didn't have a good hold of it. I understand what you mean though. God didn't force the hammer out of my hand and onto my foot. Gravity did, and it was my fault I didn't have a good hold of it, or the manufacturers fault the handle came apart (or whatever reason the hammer fell).

[jbalm]

No doctrinal support that I'm aware of.

[Bridgey]

Perhaps you could reword it to "Everything that happens can give you experience (or be a learning moment)???

[Proud 2b Peculiar]

Eccl. 3: 1
1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

[Stephen]

Good hustle Charity trying to find something to doctrinally support that point of view...still...to me it is a stretch!

[Proud 2b Peculiar]

LOL

Everything has a purpose under heaven. Even the wicked activities are used for our good our the Lord's purposes.

[ChelC]

Funny, I think my husband and I have had the same conversation. I think everything is a stretch, but I've had a lot of situations where mistakes and misunderstandings have resulted in things I know happened just as they were supposed to. In other words, I think frequently the Lord works through our own stupidity to bless us in spite of ourselves.