Someone said, “Luck is the religion of the lazy.”~

Whatever people believe, if they believe in luck, they embrace a nebulous concept that doesn’t include God. They wait for luck to change their outcome. They are mindlessly going through life thinking luck will change their route, like a detour sign on a highway. Luck. Not seeking God, and not using God’s wisdom to act in obedience. No adherence to anything. Just an idea. Luck.

Because many people adopt the phrase “good luck” as part of their mindset and speech, I am led to believe they do not believe in God and think their participation in life choices isn’t needed. How many times a day do you hear people say it?

I believe most people think it’s harmless, and many exchange it as a pleasantry, a socially acceptable wish to another. If you need a new perspective on the phrase “good luck”, then keep reading.

We’ve heard it all our lives, but what is luck? Some say it is good fortune, something special that happens to improve a situation; others favor. Webster’s dictionary defines luck as “success or failure by chance rather than through one’s actions.” One might hear, “I got lucky,” as if their chance came just when they needed it. Some testify to getting a lucky break.

Have you ever thought that luck is credited for some rather large situations in life? For instance, rarely will anyone say, “Good luck doing your laundry,” or “Good luck painting your fingernails.” No. It’s big situations like making a deal, opening a business, or going to court. Let’s say you have the money to purchase a vehicle or house, would you give luck the credit? Many people do. And yet, God gives anyone the ability to earn money(Deuteronomy 8:18).

In Matthew 7:11, the Bible is clear: God the Father desires to give good gifts to His children. James 1:17 states that every gift comes from the Father. Yet, we all hear our fellow Christians use “good luck”. Most mean nothing by it, but that doesn’t mean it is okay to say. We can do better. The next time you hear another Christian use “good luck,” gently remind them that God will bring about His outcome. Let’s quit letting this tiny phrase steal opportunities to praise our Lord and give Him the credit He deserves. Your Christian friends and unbelievers need hope, so how can we share it?

Christian response:

One way is to share what God has done for you. He is your identity! Your life is bursting with blessings due to His grace. All through scripture we see our spiritual blessings. Ephesians 1:11 declares God’s activity in every believers life. Christians do not live a life of luck, chance, or coincidence. We have a story of dependence on God that we can share with confidence.

What Can A Christian Can Do?

With strength and conviction, Christians walk in His light. We can train our mind and our mouth to speak the truth. Luck doesn’t exist, but our loving and generous Lord does. We can talk about Him and use our life circumstances to do it.

When the Lord opened the door for me to begin a theological degree a few years ago, I knew instantly God was orchestrating it just for me. While I worked on it, I saw Him provide other students to collaborate with me. I felt the tenacity He provided for me to exercise disciplined study habits. And on the last day, His Spirit cheered me when I walked across the stage, and I knew He smiled with me. None of that was facilitated in luck. All Christians have similar experiences to share with others.

WHY GIVE CREDIT TO THE ONE WHO SAVED YOUR SOUL?

• God deserves all our praise.
• It keeps us humble to give Him credit.
• It’s an effective witness to those around us.
• God honors those who honor Him.
• It’s right and true.
• He should get the glory!

We don’t want to be like the Israelites so long ago who forgot what God had done.

Our ancestors in Egypt did not grasp the significance of your wondrous works or remember your many acts of faithful love; instead, they rebelled by the sea—the Red Sea. Psalm 106:7(CSB)

REPLACE GOOD LUCK WITH PRAISE

• We can renew our mind through His Word -(John 17:17, Romans 12:1-2).
• Be intentional about finding verses in the Bible that teach about praising and thanking Him.
• We can pray for the courage to give God open, winsome credit (Romans 11:36).
• We can pray Psalm 51:10 – “God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
• We can ask God to transform our speech pattern, and don’t get discouraged if it takes a while(Psalm 141:3).
• We can change what we say. Luke 6:45 says our mouth gives evidence of our hearts. Our mouths were made to praise the One who created us, saved us, and gives us all we need for life (2 Peter 1:3). 

Luck is not real; neither is chance or coincidence. We lack human words to describe the nature of God and His love toward us. Scripture provides the words we need. If we choose to digest more of it (Psalm 34:8), then we can have an answer for what God does for us (I Peter 3:15). And when we tell of His wonderful deeds toward us, we will learn to quit saying, “Good luck.”

What do you think about this?

Action step:

• Use the blog as a Bible study.

• Go through it with friends or a class.
• Leave a comment

©Valerie Rumfelt