Saturday, October 10, 2009

The Lucky Ones

lucky people

I don't believe in luck as most people would define it, that's it's just some random happenstance that occurs for no reason or that its a personally directed act that involves leprechauns or rabbits feet. Instead, I prefer to think of most "luck" as being what happens when preparedness and opportunity meet! "Lucky" is a word sometimes used out of jealousy toward others that seeks to diminish the hard work that's been invested in a successful project or to express stunned disbelief at some sudden windfall of good fortune that can't be readily explained otherwise. There's lots of other ways the term luck is used, beginners luck is when we try something without any preconceived ideas of what works and what doesn't and approach something without prejudice. I've heard people say... "Nobody told me I couldn't, so I just did it!". Personally, I believe we have angels that watch over all of us, others will say that it's just luck when people go through a bad car wreck or some other accident and aren't seriously injured.

The word luck sure does cover a lot of stuff!

I've heard it said that if God did not exist people would have to "invent" Him in some way in order to explain "what is life ". Because of mans ego, the concept of "luck" was necessary in order for men to be able to justify their atheism and avoid believing that God DOES exist, that he is alive, and does intervene in mans affairs.

My purpose in writing about luck is primarily to expose it for the superstitious lie that I believe it is. It can start off simply by putting faith in mere objects like clovers or rabbits feet, not only is doing that misplaced faith, it also takes away from us having a true saving faith in God! Ironically, being "lucky" can turn out to be a very real obstacle or stumbling block to people. One of the worst things that can happen to a young man is to get big time "lucky" at the horse track one time because then he's hooked for life! Have you ever had a car with an intermittent problem, one that would only malfunction part of the time? And of course, when you take it to a mechanic it'll never "do it" while you're there! It's really hard for a mechanic to diagnose a problem like that let alone fix it. Appearances are deceiving and a casual glance seldom if ever tells us whats going on inside.

I was born with so many advantages in life, and that made it hard for me to admit I had lots of problems as a young man. There were people in my life who's job it was to help me to sort them out, but because I was a "high functioning" drug addict I could keep up a fortunate facade and pass myself off as being no worse off than any other typical teenager so I never really got the help I needed. I don't know for sure, It may of been that the only person I was really fooling was myself. Regardless, being outwardly fortunate didn't turn out to be so lucky for me.

If our afflictions are obvious to everyone including ourselves and we're forced to confront them in such a way that we loose our illusion of somehow being the only ones who need help or that asking for help is something shameful or embarrassing we may not appear to be very lucky, but we almost always get the help we need. Could it be that one of Satan's most common deceptions is to convince us that we're different or separate from other people? That we're much better off to stay safe and hidden on our home base of "self" and not reach out a hand to others to help or be helped by. It's pretty basic strategy to use camouflage to hide what we don't want to be seen, to "divide and conquer", or to suggest the presence of a much larger and more powerful military in order to deceive.

I'm not one of the lucky ones, but I am fortunate that the circumstances of my life have brought me to a place where all of my problems are in plain sight. You see, my Heavenly Father knows all about my situation too, and I believe He wants to use it to show Himself faithful in His own time and way. I know that It may get worse before it gets better, but I can already see things falling into place for God to show His grace through me to lots and lots of people and not only will that make everything I've been through much more than worth it!

Who needs luck?

1 comment:

Scott said...

Thanks brother, great post. For years I thought it was "luck" that got me where I was, what I had, and kept me out of prison or worse. Looking back, it is quite obvious it was not luck, but the love of a very patient God.

God Bless my friend.