448. From Coincidence To Favor of God
When we go through our lives, we bump into many obstacles and problems. Sometimes it is easy enough to handle on our own, but there are times we feel helpless and in need of divine help. This is not just for believers, but also for non-believers as well — we all go through these moments. But when we get out of that trouble, or get what we hoped for, we are faced with two responses. One calls it “coincidence”, and the other calls it “favor of God”.
After having two children, I began to understand how our understanding of God changes as we mature. Let’s imagine this from an infant’s perspective. Let’s say you were a newborn and all you know how to do is cry. At that stage, you cry because you don’t even know how to express your desire. Then, without you fully understanding what happened, you realize your needs are met. At this point, you are not even aware of the existence of your parents. But as time goes by, you begin to realize something — every time you cry, someone comes to you and gives you what you want, whether it’s milk or a hug. However, you might still think it was just a “coincidence” — at this stage, you cannot connect what you got with the person who gave it to you. When you grow a little bit, you begin to connect the “gift” with the “giver”. Then you start to know the giver as “parents”. Finally, as you grow up a little more, you realize that they provided for you not because you cried, but because they are faithful and love you. You know that the help you received in times of need is no longer a coincidence but “their favor”, unconditional love.
It is the same with our relationship with God. When we first came to know God, when good things happen, we call them “luck” or “coincidence”. But as we mature, we begin to acknowledge the person behind all seeming “luck” as God, and call it “God’s favor”. This is faith, and this is praise that pleases God, just as it would greatly please parents when their child begins to acknowledge them as their provider and helper.
Let’s reflect on what has happened in 2025 as the year-end approaches. And maybe take some moment to turn what we brushed off as “coincidence” in our lives into praise and thanksgiving because we are where we are today only because of his favor.
