“Thank God, I am Lucky.”

Interesting statement, isn’t it? Let me ask you a question: Can ‘GOD’ and ‘LUCK’ co-exist?

The dictionary defines ‘luck’ as something good or evil that happens to a person by chance. “Best of Luck on your exams,” “You are lucky to have such good parents,” “He’s lucky to be alive,” “Good luck on your new business venture,” “I didn’t have any luck finding what I wanted,” “I’ve had nothing but bad luck all week,” “We were lucky to get tickets to the game,” and “I am lucky to have food on my table” are some common usagesof the word “LUCK” in our day to day conversations.

Now, before I tell you what I think about ‘GOD’ and ‘LUCK’, there are some hard questions you should ask yourself about what it is that you mean when you use the word, “luck.”

Yesterday, after our Sunday worship service, I actually counted the number of times people used the word “luck” around me. There were four occurrences. I asked myself, “Why is it that as Christians we say that we believe in the sovereign GOD and His providence and continue to use the word ‘luck’ in our daily language?”

For more than a decade I have intentionally taken care in not using the word ‘luck’ in my everyday language as it contradicts my belief in GOD. My inquisitiveness pushed me to ask my Christian friends as to why they use it and are not bothered by it. Have they given into culture? Some told me that they use it because everyone uses it or they use it, but don’t really mean it or use it as it’s an old habit that is hard to break. I sit and wonder, “Why say it, if you don’t mean it or if it goes against your belief?” I think as Christian’s words should not be taken lightly and must be given equal importance as good works. Jesus said that out of the abundance of our heart, our mouth speaks.

Please understand. I am not trying to be nit-picky. Today, I see lot of Christians living by a philosophy called luck. They are not living by the truth that there is a GOD who is sovereign and who controls the universe. Imagine, things unfolding in your life. How do you respond? “I was lucky today” or “GOD in His providence allowed that thing for His purpose.”

As Christians if we don’t have GOD in our everyday equation it will be easy to not notice GOD’s hand at work in both small things and big things in our life. If we don’t look at our life as something precious given by GOD to live for His purposes, everything in life will eventually be viewed as just luck and chance. There will be no awareness of GOD and God will not be acknowledged and chance will be encouraged.

Friends, you and I cannot have ‘GOD’ and ‘chance.’ The two are incompatible. I hope you think twice before you use the word ‘luck’ as a Christian.

May GOD be GOD in your life.

The Psalmist says this best:

“O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.
You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do.
You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD.
You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!
I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!
If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave,[a] you are there.
If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.” – Psalm 139:1-10.
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Samuel Williams is co-founder & content director at Fluid. He is also the teaching pastor at Avenue Community Church in Toronto, Canada.