Reposted from a post I had posted on Revelife (a Xanga "ish" site), November 4, 2009.
I've heard several people say, "They should have died when they went through some event," whether it be a car wreck, a tricky childbirth, or a near-fatal illness. "I'm convinced that their survival is proof that God has great plans for them." I heard it this weekend and I started thinking about it.
Logically, the statement is...
Surviving a close brush with death is proof of a strong call of God on one's life.
Does that mean...
If I've never been 'this close' to the reaper's scythe God has no great plan for my life?
God had no great plan for my friend who died relatively young, leaving behind three children?
Anyone, saint or sinner, who beats the odds - has the hand of God on their life?
I remember reading a book, Confessions of a Caffeinated Christian, and in one chapter the author tells his story of a near-death experience (at his birth) to somebody else. The other person said..."you know what that means? It (just) means that God wanted you to live."
It's just one of those cliches that Christians say that I really can't agree with.
What is your stance on near death experiences? Proof of God's plan for you or was God just feeling merciful?
Oh, man. Just wrote this "wonderful," lengthy comment. Grr...
ReplyDeleteI don't buy that surviving a near-death experience is proof of anything except that God has said, "Not today." Plenty of people with strong calls of God on their life, and very effective and powerful and active ministries, have died in accidents. Does that mean their strong call was recalled? I don't think so.
ReplyDeleteI know it may seem cliche, but God's ways are not our ways. When our life is in God's hands, we surrender our right to understand everything He allows in our life. We agree to walk by faith, not sight (understanding) or might (willfulness). It's the only way to maintain a spiritual (versus an intellectual or emotional) relationship with God. We must commune with Him in spirit.
I believe/know that God has a strong call on every Believer's life. He doesn't make mediocre calls, you know? So, death doesn't nullify that, nor does it mean we have fulfilled all He called us to do. Just as we rarely accomplish in a day all that we have on our To Do/Wish List, so it is with life. We rarely get to do it all - even those who have done so much. In fact, they are probably the ones who most wish they could do more.
I guess I think what matters most is that we understand what God's call is on our life, and than pursue it to the end, until we breathe our last breath, or are raptured away. God has a unique plan and purpose and will and call for each of His own. Whether we are give 20 years or 120 years, we are all vital to His Kingdom. It's an act of faith to believe that, but it's all an act of faith, right?