Stop Saying "Everything Happens For a Reason."

God is Not the Cause of All Things, But He Can Redeem Anything

Mike never expected a sprained ankle would change his life. But it did. He missed his marathon, but he got married.

Here’s how it went.

Training for his first marathon, Mike pushed himself too hard on a practice run. His foot caught an uneven patch of pavement. Hours later, sitting in the Emergency Room waiting for x-rays, he struck up a conversation with Sarah, a nurse who had just started her shift. Her gentle manner and quick wit made his long wait more bearable, and by the time he left with his ankle wrapped and a set of crutches, he had her phone number.

Two years later, at their wedding, friends would joke that Mike's clumsy footwork was "all part of God's plan." Yes, he missed his marathon. But you know, everything happens for a reason. Right?

While the sentiment was well-meaning, it raises an interesting theological question: Did God cause Mike to sprain his ankle so he would meet Sarah? Or did God redeem an unfortunate accident, turning it into a beautiful story of connection and love, like a made-for-TV RomCom?

The phrase "everything happens for a reason" is a common meme in contemporary Christian discourse. While well-intentioned, it often masks a deeper theological issue about God's will, human free will, and the nature of divine purpose.

So, how should we think about these things? What’s really going on?

The Best Analogy: An Author

Consider how an author writes a novel. The writer begins with a clear vision of where the story must go - certain key events that need to happen, particular moments that must unfold for the narrative to work. Yet a novelist will tell you something fascinating: as the story develops, the characters begin to take on a life of their own. Writers speak of being “surprised” by their characters' decisions, of characters "refusing" to do what the author initially planned, of personalities developing in unexpected ways that force changes to the planned narrative.

KEY IDEA: The author, God knows the broad arc of history's story and can ensure its ultimate conclusion. Yet within that framework, He allows for genuine character development, authentic choices and even random, chance encounters or accidents. Decisions aren't merely illusory - they're real choices with real consequences, yet somehow contained within God's larger plan.

Rather than viewing God's will as a narrow path from which we can stray with a single misstep, we might better understand it as a broad boulevard leading toward His purposes. There are boundaries—God's moral and spiritual principles remain constant. Yet within those boundaries, there's significant freedom of movement. Different people can take different lanes while heading in the same direction, and weaving within the boulevard doesn't negate progress.

The Problem with “Everything Happens for a Reason”

When faced with suffering or uncertainty, many find comfort in the idea that every event is part of God's predetermined plan. However, this simplistic view presents several theological challenges. I can count five of them.

1. It’s Reductionistic. It flattens the rich complexity of God's relationship with creation into a mere cause-and-effect sequence. The Bible consistently shows God working through and despite human choices, not controlling them like a cosmic puppeteer.

2. It’s Rude. It can often be dismissive of people's pain, invalidating their emotions by suggesting a hidden, positive reason behind even terrible events, which may not exist.

3. It’s Simplistic. It can come across as simplistic and unhelpful when facing difficult situations, and often fails to acknowledge the reality of randomness and sometimes just plain bad luck in life.

4. It’s Heretical. This view risks making God appear as the direct author of evil and suffering, rather than recognizing Him as the ultimate redeemer of it.

5. It’s Short-sighted. It misses the crucial distinction between causation and redemptive purpose, overlooking one of the most powerful aspects of God's character - His ability to bring good out of genuine evil, as demonstrated in stories like Joseph's ("you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good" - Genesis 50:20).

We Have a Better Word: Redemption

I believe “redemption” is one of the most glorious words in our language. It comes from the Latin "redemptio," which means "a buying back" or "releasing by payment." Its original usage referred to paying a price to free a slave or captive. It could mean recovering something pawned or mortgaged by paying a debt. Or it could also mean paying a ransom to secure someone's freedom.

In this way, Jesus is not only our Redeemer, but the author of how things are redeemed in our life—things that hurt us, wounded us or caused suffering we endured.

When we shift our understanding from God as the cause of all things to God as the redeemer of all things, we see His sovereignty in a new light. Just as a skilled author can weave unexpected character choices into a compelling narrative, God can work through our free decisions - both good and bad - to accomplish His purposes.

This is the glory of the Christian faith. There is nothing in our life that cannot be redeemed. The process takes something lost or broken, pays a price to recover it, and restores it to its intended purpose, transforming it into something valuable.

This is quite different from "causing" something. If I redeem a bracelet or piece of jewelry from a pawn shop, I didn't cause it to be pawned - I'm recovering and restoring it. Similarly, when we say God redeems situations, we're saying He takes what has happened (whether caused by human choice, divine decree, natural events, or evil) and works to restore and transform it for good.

A Better Way to Say It

We have all said it. Do you remember that last time you heard some terrible story or sad outcome that impacted someone you know. And without thinking, you said, “Well, you know, I think that everything happens for a reason.” Do you remember that? And do you remember how you felt when you said it? Did you sound smug? (I know something they will know soon enough.) Did it sound plastic? (Have a nice day?) Wooden? (God has reasons that reason cannot know.)

Don’t beat yourself up. Just stop saying it. Stop trying to fix someone’s life and what they must deal with. Instead, trying saying something like this: “I don’t know why it happened. And I’m sorry that it did happen. And I will pray that you will see how God redeems it.”

This doesn't diminish God's sovereignty; rather, it magnifies it. It's far more remarkable that God can bring good out of genuine evil than if everything were simply part of a predetermined script. When we say "God can give everything a reason" rather than "everything happens for a reason," we acknowledge both human responsibility and divine redemption.

Back to Mike and Sarah

Returning to Mike and Sarah's story, we don't need to believe God caused Mike's injury to see His redemptive work in their meeting. Their story illustrates a profound truth: God's sovereignty doesn't require Him to orchestrate every detail but rather enables Him to work through all circumstances - even our mistakes and accidents - to weave a greater narrative of redemption.

And remember, the Bible doesn’t say everything happens for a reason. The closest thing is that everything happens for a season. (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

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The Rev. David Roseberry, an ordained Anglican priest with over 40 years of pastoral experience, offers leadership services to pastors, churches, and Christian writers. He is an accomplished author whose books are available on Amazon. Rev. Roseberry is the Executive Director of LeaderWorks, where his work and resources can be found.

Want to read more about God’s providence? Consider reading “The Ordinary Ways of God” by David Roseberry. It is a deep dive study into the fascinating and remarkably current story of the Moabite woman, Ruth. Go here to learn more.

Available on Amazon