So I have recently become very intrigued on the thought process behind those who will fully say they are Christ followers and then believe that there is chance in the world, that coincidences happen. One of the biggest interest for me in this is because of a choice that needs to be made come September. We are going to be starting a student leadership team in the GCC youth and I have some names in my head who I think would be really good at taking on this responsibility. However, after going over some of the Biblical evidence for God using chance for His purpose. So I really struggle with this, because part of me really wants the names I have in my head because of pride and selfishness. But I know that God's ways are best so I know what I'm going to do. I'll go into a bit more detail now.
I read a very interesting article recently which takes the view that God created the realm of chance and then almost left it to fend for itself (God or Chance?). I definitely see where he is coming from as he is a statistician and a preacher. So it would make sense to pull both those two worlds and make one that is capable of compiling both worlds into one.
Now don't get me wrong, I totally agree and believe in probability and that we are capable of understanding that when you flip a coin there are only two outcomes and because of this you have a 50/50 chance. This is not chance but probability. Or that when you buy a ticket to the lottery you have a very very very small probability to win. But I don't believe in coincidences, lady luck, or chance itself.
So here's the dilemma though. When we believe in the God of the Bible, there are certain stipulations that you have to believe in as well or else you actually believe in a different god, and not the one portrayed in the Bible. See there are many places in the Bible where it shows that God governs the world, but moreso God even governs what we call chance. If we look at a few passages in the Bible, and these are not extensive, we can see that God even uses chance to His profit. The first is probably one of the most well known when it comes to the Church, however I could be very wrong. In Acts 1:20-26 we see that the 11 apostles are in the process to choosing a new 12th apostle. Now there were clear stipulations that were set in order for your name to be considered to be the new 12th, but in the end the 11 were left with two names, but instead of making the choice on their own they decided to allow God to choose through the action of drawing lots.
Another well known time in the Bible where choice is given to God through the action of drawing lots is in the story of Jonah. The story going that Jonah ran away from God and when he was on the boat heading away from Nineveh the sailors cast lots (Jonah 1:7) to see who was responsible for causing the storm and it ended being Jonah who got the short end of the stick.
One other time in the Bible where chance is shown as a use of God is told to us in Joshua 7:13-18. The story is that after the Israelites conquered Jericho they were told to not take anything from the land at all. However a man, named Achan, took a gold mantel and hid it away. Because of this the Israelites lost their next battle because God allowed them to lose. God told Joshua to take all of Israel and by drawing lots God will show them who was the cause of their defeat. So Joshua starts at the top, Israel to Judah to Zerahites, to Zabdi, to Achan. Through the choice of "chance" or what we would most likely in our day and age call coincidence.
So in the end I am really just struggling with my own pride and selfishness with thinking that my choices are better than God's. But through the Bible we really see that God Himself chooses and not some random god or fate called "chance."
So......do you serve the God of the Bible? Or do you serve the god of chance?
