Chapter 2 – Part 1: You Are Not an Accident
“God never does anything accidentally, and he never makes mistakes.”
This is a very hard thing to understand. If we are to understand that God doesn’t make mistakes we must accept two very simple principles. 1) We have free will and are able to choose. 2) Free will is a variable but it doesn’t thwart God’s plan. Which is why He is able to use everything for His purpose if we allow Him to do so.
Additionally, we must understand that we are a fallen creation because of the free will exercised by our first parents. In Genesis chapter 3 our first parents chose to disobey God when they listened to and followed the evil one’s counsel. When they chose to follow the evil one they fell. Their fall made us a fallen creation and gave us a “sin nature”. Which is why we are so messed up and do things to ourselves and each other that we know is wrong. The good news is when they fell God in His mercy set in place His plan for our redemption. That plan has been working since the fall and if we choose to, we can be a part of it.
Turning Negatives Into Positives
Part of God’s plan for our redemption is to let nothing go to waste in our lives. God, if we allow him can use every single thing from our deepest darkest sin to our brightest moments not only for our benefit but to bring others to him. Realizing this, our life can take on a whole new meaning. All of the negative things that we’ve done in our life; all of the negative things that have happened to us as well as all of the positive things can be used by God to further his kingdom and give us a Purpose Driven Life. That life, that purpose driven life gives everything in our life meaning. Even our darkest most desperate times when turned over to God for his use will be made to shine like gold. But we must make the choice to allow that to happen.
My son Eric lost his wife Mary Frances to lung cancer over 8 years ago. She left him with three small children ranging from 5 to 10. It made no sense that she died from lung cancer to any of us. She never smoked. She never hung out in bars. She was a loving housewife and mother. Yet, she died. But, in my son’s and my grandchildren’s darkest hour they found a place where their wounds could heal, Willow House. Willow House was formed by grieving people to help other grieving people. Now Eric is paying back all the help that he and his family received by serving on its Board of Directors and helping their mission to continue.
In my men’s group, First Light, we have men who struggled with addiction. Some have been in prison. Bart, a member of our group, is in AA and serves as a sponsor. Having struggled with alcohol and having maintained sobriety he is able to help others because he knows what they are going through. Another member of our group, Joe Schmidt was in Lake County jail and attended our Purpose Driven Life group while there. He went to prison, served his time and when he came home formed a group called FIST, Former Inmates Striving Together. His group has helped former inmates get back to being productive members of society and has been a positive influence on the community.
How can you use the negatives in your life to help others and to give yourself a Purpose Driven Life?
Author
Sgt. Allen Lynch
Allen Lynch is a former United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military’s highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in the Vietnam War.Learn How Eagle’s Healing Nest Can Help