In What Way Is God Involved?

How directly involved is God in your personal affairs? The March Journal of Sociology of Religion takes up just this question by way of a survey. Top consider the question, look at the start of this New York Times article, Most Believe God Gets Involved,

,When the “American Idol” judge Simon Cowell recently predicted the departure of the contestant Jermaine Sellers, the young singer shook his head in disagreement. “I know God,’’ he replied, pointing upward.

Two days later, when Mr. Sellers failed to make the cut, he still had faith. “What God has for me is for me,’’ he said. “In God there is no failure.’’

According to Scott Schieman, professor of sociology at the University of Toronto,

The interesting thing is that when you press people to start talking about things like speeding tickets or losing weight, a lot of people will weave a divine narrative in, describing God as somehow setting up situations or setting up scenarios for success or failure.

Pooling data from two large, national surveys, they found:

82 percent of respondents said they “depend on God for help and guidance in making decisions.”

71 percent believe that good or bad events are “part of God’s plan for them.’’

One in three respondents agreed with the statement: “There is no sense in planning a lot because ultimately my fate is in God’s hands.”

As for me, I absolutely agree that I depend on God for help and guidance. I believe that not all things good and bad are God's plan, but that people by free will can do things that are not what God willed, yet God will work all things together for the good. So I therefore think that I should make plans, but include God in the planning, asking for God's will rather than mine.

That's where I come down on this. How about y'all?

peace,
Frank+
The Rev. Frank Logue, Pastor