Which, I mean, thank goodness! Accidents tend to be bad–like spilling your milk, or the Hindenburg. There’s a reason you normally have to add the word “happy” to differentiate a good accident from the usual kind. So, thank God we aren’t accidents. Because He’s responsible!
I’m getting ahead of myself. Here’s the official verse:
“I am your Creator. You were in my care even before you were born.”
Isaiah 44:2a (Contemporary English Version)
Mr. Warren comes down hard on the side of predestination in this chapter, which I suppose is reasonable because he’s trying to make a point, but I wish he’d have mentioned a little bit about the other side of the coin. Here is one of the many statements that I’m talking about:
“God prescribed every single detail of your body. He deliberately chose your race, the color of your skin, your hair, and every other feature. He custom-made your body just the way he wanted it.” (22; italics mine)
Stop for a moment and imagine that you have been in some way physically handicapped from birth, and that your handicap causes you daily pain and/or heartache. Now, remember that for some, this doesn’t require imagination. God certainly did preordain that you would be exactly the way that you are. But at the same time, God certainly never wanted you to experience chronic pain or depression. I can imagine a person in this position putting the book down right here, having been confirmed in their feeling that God is the cause of their torment.
I would have liked just a qualification somewhere in this chapter, acknowledging that the idea that “God wanted everything to be exactly the way it is” isn’t the whole story. God’s design for Creation was perfect. Had sin not entered the world, there would be no pain or suffering. It was man who soured it. And there are many evil things in this world that would not be, but for the sin of man. Yes, God is sovereign. Nothing happens under the sun without His say-so, and even the most painful parts of reality He will use for good. But there’s another side to it. (I’m not an expert on the subject, but I do love C. S. Lewis, and The Problem of Pain and Mere Christianity both paint excellent pictures of predestination vs. free will.)
That being said, and regardless, Warren’s point is well-made. He uses many great verses about God’s predestination for our lives. Here are a few good ones:
“You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.”
Psalm 139:16 (New Living Translation)“Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love.”
Ephesians 1:4a (The Message)“I have carried you since you were born; I have taken care of you from your birth. Even when you are old, I will be the same. Even when your hair has turned gray, I will take care of you. I made you and will take care of you. I will carry you and save you.”
Isaiah 46:3-4 (New Century Version)
That’s some good stuff. It makes a person feel wanted. (And that’s because we are! Yay!)
The question one is left with, then, is: “Why did God make me [something that causes you grief or hardship]?” Perhaps a slightly better version of the question is: “What does God want me to learn from [this thing], and how does He expect me to respond?”
That is something that I will meditate on tonight and tomorrow.
God, thank you for creating me exactly the way that I am. I struggle oftentimes with aspects of my own flesh and character, but I know that in those times, you are teaching me to be more like You, and drawing me closer to Yourself. Help me not to curse my own nature, but rather, help me to see your purpose behind it, and help me to finish the race that you have set before me.
Amen.