"Karma"

Then the crew cast lots to see which of them had offended the gods and caused the terrible storm. When they did this, the lots identified Jonah as the culprit. [Jonah 1.7]

I found myself thinking about the idea of "Karma" today when I read this. The reason is because so many people today believe in "Karma" but then argue that bad things happening to "good people" is somehow exempt from such belief. I don't believe in Karma - I believe in the Bible.

The reason I put quotations around "good people" above is because that is what other people may think of them. It is what is seen in the book of Job when Satan told God that He (God) had protection around Job. You see, Satan thought Job was "good people." When God asked Satan if he had considered "righteous" Job, God was asking the Destroyer if he had considered destroying Job. The thing is, God already knew the answer before He asked Satan the question. The answer was that Satan, not knowing Job's heart, but only going off outward appearances, thought Job was off-limits based on Job's 'superficial' goodness. God's question to Job was not for information to God, but for revelation to Job (just like God's question to Adam and Eve in the Garden was not for His information but for their revelation of their condition).

And yet, Christians today, some even professing to believe in Karma, reject the Biblical fact that curses defined in Deuteronomy 28 are indicators of man's need to repent.

If Satan, a fallen angel, was ignorant of the condition of Job's proud heart, what makes us think we are qualified to classify anyone (including ourselves) as "good?" That is precisely why God used pain and suffering (curses) to get our attention (and defined it so clearly in Deuteronomy 28)! But even then, like Job, we argue our innocence...

Father, once again today I am faced with my pride and arrogance. Forgive me for ever holding out that I am innocent when I encounter pain and suffering. And, for the record, help me to understand that persecution is something altogether different. Give me the sense (and humility) to distinguish between the two.