A
arlev
Guest
We are all victims of circumstance.
That phrase is normally given a negative connotation in the world, meaning how a person is negatively effected by a situation that has come about through no fault of their own.
So, for example, a relationship that descends in to violence, break up and flight may leave one of the parties in a state of poverty and need. Leaving aside the poor choices we make in our relationships and assuming that everything was unpredictable when the relationship began, then the ‘injured party’ would be considered to be a ‘victim of circumstance’ where their plight has been seemingly forced on them through no fault of their own.
But you wouldn’t use the phrase if one of the partners in the relationship made it rich by winning the lottery and the passive beneficiary became rich alongside the other. We wouldn’t talk of them as being a ‘victim of circumstance’ even though in a literal meaning of the phrase that’s exactly what’s happened.
Ecclesiastes, the Preacher, commented that ‘time and chance happen to...’ all men (Ecclesiastes 9:11) and, if nothing else, this we should take as a cornerstone of living in the World. Circumstance – even for the believer – is not under our control but very often random.
Sure, we may see God’s hand in allowing events to shape us, change our course and seemingly prevent us from fulfilling what we thought was our aim but, nevertheless, life throws at us circumstances that we would rather it didn’t.
We all have the freewill to react as we choose in the circumstances in which we find ourselves but we are not free to dictate those random circumstances that come upon us.
The believer is exhorted to react rightly, as Christ would, and, even though we get it wrong - time and time again - we have the grace to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and try again when another set of similar circumstances present themselves.
But we don’t have the power to choose our circumstances, only the power to react correctly in them.
When Paul considered the subject of slavery – to give but one example of the culture of his day - he took an approach that is generally regarded as an embarrassment to the modern day Church and definitely a stone of offence to the World.
He didn’t address the believers that he wrote to and implore them to campaign against their own slavery. He didn’t tell the believers to change their culture. He doesn’t view it as an evil, per se, that must be removed from them. Instead, he insists that the believers react correctly if they find themselves a victim of these circumstances.
Masters must behave correctly (Ephesians 6:9, Colossians 4:1), slaves must give good service in the Lord (Ephesians 6:5, Colossians 3:22, Titus 2:9).
How the world reacts is completely different and not under the jurisdiction of the Church (but, thankfully, a lot of slavery has been eradicated in the present day. All too often, however, we approve of these practices because of economic or materialistic concerns) but for the follower of Jesus, the freewill reaction in the situation is the most important aspect of slavery if you find yourself in the set up – whether as a master or slave.
Or, better, to widen the application, our freewill reaction to each and every circumstance in which we find ourselves is what shows the depth to which we follow the One we profess to serve.
The World will run its own affairs anyway it so chooses and not according to Christ, but it’s up to the believer to show His presence in the World’s organisations and, instead of tearing down, reveal Jesus.
Too often we try to discuss how the world should behave, we throw Scriptures at the way things should be – but, for Paul, he was concerned with how the Church reacted, that it reflected the Person who they professed to serve.
Sure, if the slave was able to gain their freedom then they were exhorted to do so (I Corinthians 7:21) but, while slavery remained, displaying Jesus was also the obligation.
In any circumstance that we find ourselves in – whether we consider it to be intrinsically good or bad – our freewill reaction determines how well we are followers of Christ.
That phrase is normally given a negative connotation in the world, meaning how a person is negatively effected by a situation that has come about through no fault of their own.
So, for example, a relationship that descends in to violence, break up and flight may leave one of the parties in a state of poverty and need. Leaving aside the poor choices we make in our relationships and assuming that everything was unpredictable when the relationship began, then the ‘injured party’ would be considered to be a ‘victim of circumstance’ where their plight has been seemingly forced on them through no fault of their own.
But you wouldn’t use the phrase if one of the partners in the relationship made it rich by winning the lottery and the passive beneficiary became rich alongside the other. We wouldn’t talk of them as being a ‘victim of circumstance’ even though in a literal meaning of the phrase that’s exactly what’s happened.
Ecclesiastes, the Preacher, commented that ‘time and chance happen to...’ all men (Ecclesiastes 9:11) and, if nothing else, this we should take as a cornerstone of living in the World. Circumstance – even for the believer – is not under our control but very often random.
Sure, we may see God’s hand in allowing events to shape us, change our course and seemingly prevent us from fulfilling what we thought was our aim but, nevertheless, life throws at us circumstances that we would rather it didn’t.
We all have the freewill to react as we choose in the circumstances in which we find ourselves but we are not free to dictate those random circumstances that come upon us.
The believer is exhorted to react rightly, as Christ would, and, even though we get it wrong - time and time again - we have the grace to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and try again when another set of similar circumstances present themselves.
But we don’t have the power to choose our circumstances, only the power to react correctly in them.
When Paul considered the subject of slavery – to give but one example of the culture of his day - he took an approach that is generally regarded as an embarrassment to the modern day Church and definitely a stone of offence to the World.
He didn’t address the believers that he wrote to and implore them to campaign against their own slavery. He didn’t tell the believers to change their culture. He doesn’t view it as an evil, per se, that must be removed from them. Instead, he insists that the believers react correctly if they find themselves a victim of these circumstances.
Masters must behave correctly (Ephesians 6:9, Colossians 4:1), slaves must give good service in the Lord (Ephesians 6:5, Colossians 3:22, Titus 2:9).
How the world reacts is completely different and not under the jurisdiction of the Church (but, thankfully, a lot of slavery has been eradicated in the present day. All too often, however, we approve of these practices because of economic or materialistic concerns) but for the follower of Jesus, the freewill reaction in the situation is the most important aspect of slavery if you find yourself in the set up – whether as a master or slave.
Or, better, to widen the application, our freewill reaction to each and every circumstance in which we find ourselves is what shows the depth to which we follow the One we profess to serve.
The World will run its own affairs anyway it so chooses and not according to Christ, but it’s up to the believer to show His presence in the World’s organisations and, instead of tearing down, reveal Jesus.
Too often we try to discuss how the world should behave, we throw Scriptures at the way things should be – but, for Paul, he was concerned with how the Church reacted, that it reflected the Person who they professed to serve.
Sure, if the slave was able to gain their freedom then they were exhorted to do so (I Corinthians 7:21) but, while slavery remained, displaying Jesus was also the obligation.
In any circumstance that we find ourselves in – whether we consider it to be intrinsically good or bad – our freewill reaction determines how well we are followers of Christ.
