I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭9‬:‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Why do bad things happen to good people?

Seems like practicing noble virtues and good behaviors should count for something.

The bible tells us God can’t lie, change, or think like us. That latter one is called ‘omniscience,’ a regard that God is all-knowing over all dimensions of time.

The equal chances that a good or bad thing happening to us is improved upon by practicing good, wisdom-infused behaviors toward which God instructs and directs us to tilt the scales and probabilities in our favor.

However, in a corrupt and fallen world with a very tangible enemy in the mix working as hard against us as we are working for us, bad things can still happen to set us back from what had seemed like realistic, logical, and consequential explanations for doing the right thing.

If we were omniscient like God, we might see that he will and does work all things together for the good who love God and are called according to his purpose.

Maybe not instantly but most certainly strategically to build faith and spiritual depth in us, God’s timeline and omniscience produces a better outcome in the end. His end.

So still do your best, wisest, swiftest, most brilliant and favorable work, and let time and chance (God) take hold of the outcome from there.

In the end, with dashed expectations put aside, watch him do his magic and defeat for good that which the enemy meant for evil.

Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭25‬:‭41‬ ‭NIV‬‬

It was never in God’s plan that any one of us would go to hell. In fact, it is his expressed desire that all of us would be saved.

That eternal fire wasn’t prepared for us but for the devil and his angels.

A glorious heaven with streets of gold awaits us and has always been the plan.

But those who won’t believe, live by faith and in reverent fear of God are not unlike the devil and his angels, and as such, they deserve and receive the same eternal destiny.

Whiter teeth fresher breath
fewer bags fewer sags
assorted concoctions
for ways to cheat death.

A lift here a tuck there
a cream that erases
all traces of ages
on everyone’s faces.

To never be happy with life’s imperfections
you’re constantly seeking the next of suggestions
that strip you and rip you of all that you are
leaving no trace of the real you
but a fake avatar.

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves and for the rights of all who are destitute.

Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭31‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Our senior citizens are in desperate need of advocates.

I’ve spent a lifetime speaking out and speaking up for a lonely and voiceless generation to which I now belong.

Lacking money, energy, and basic technological skills to make their voices heard in an online world, their concerns and requests largely remain swept under a rug.

They are a lost generation becoming more invisible by the day for lack of interest and enthusiasm within the now selfish generations they created.

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭4‬:‭9‬-‭12‬ ‭NIV‬

One by one and in huge numbers they are becoming an impoverished cohort of forgotten stories and crushed voices whose equal rights are without equal representation.

God instructs us to be advocates for the needy with whom we share this earth.

If we fail, what goes around will—in time—most certainly come back around.

I’ve never been much of a winner but my luck appears to be changing.

I attended a seminar in the ballroom of a major Strip resort yesterday afternoon. After the 500 attendees were seated and before the program began, I noticed each of my colleagues had a little red raffle ticket. As one of the very first arrivals, I’d registered before the red roll of tickets made its way to the table by the name badges, I’d missed out. We all laughed at the fact and it really didn’t matter to me anyway. 500 to 1 were slim chances for everyone. Our odds for world peace seemed a better wager.

As the program was beginning a passing staffer asked our table if we’d all been given our raffle tickets and again we all burst out laughing that the topic of a silly raffle ticket emerging at our table for the third time. I remarked at the oddity that if I’d been given a ticket at registration it would most certainly have been the winning one. Seeing I had no ticket at my place setting, she dropped one as the house lights dimmed, the stage was lit, and the program was underway.

It was an hour later before the start of the cocktail afterparty when the ladies at the stage dug into a shiny silver bowl, pulled a ticket and announced the raffle winner.
0682…036. They got my number.

The cheers were deafening as if our table had won the Super Bowl and the response back from the sea of hopefuls in the ballroom was that we were just a little too excited at the victory.

What I won was irrelevant, the most important part of yesterday was less about me having the winning ticket and so much more about eight complete strangers at our table bonding like best friends within 60 minutes.

I call that my lucky takeaway of the day.

“Be the best version of yourself.”

Something about that pleasantry so common these days doesn’t sit quite right.

It seems to me that without destiny or purpose, no number of personal growth calisthenics will make any real difference for anyone else.

Personal growth needs a destination.

For the best end game, start with what it really feels like to be truly alive.

Serve others.

So you think you’re far from the best this world has to offer?

Maybe you’re right, but you’re also far from the worst of its choices.

With a little integrity, wit, passion, kindness and a gentle heart, you’ll up your value and be more expensive but well worth the investment.

Act your price.

People will always pay handsomely for the rarer gem.

You and I cannot somehow be good enough nor well-behaved enough to gain entrance to heaven and eternal life.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭8‬-‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Consider each new morning an open seat at a poker table.

Your deal is determined by a shuffle, so accept what’s handed you with grace and understanding that winning or losing is largely up to you.

Don’t cheat, don’t count, use your best skills.

Life’s not entirely a game of chance, but when it’s over the best of us smile and tip the Dealer for the chances you were given.

Depart the game a very rich man regardless and begin anew tomorrow.

God requires only repentance and faith, not obedience.

Obedience is the logical product of faith working in us through the Holy Spirit.

You can’t be good enough to earn a place in heaven because that’s a forced output reliant on you and you alone.

Having repented due to faith in Christ puts the burden of producing obedience in you on him and him alone.