I don’t believe in karma. Neither should you.
I was watching my mechanic work on my truck the other day. Things were going very well, and then he said, “It must be karma.”
I’ve heard it before—even from Christians. But that belief that we are somehow in control of what happens in our futures, based on our actions, is deception. We do have influence to some extent, but the future is really in God’s hands.
Karma is described by Webster’s dictionary as “the force generated by a person’s actions. It is held in Hinduism and Buddhism to perpetuate transmigration (reincarnation) and in its ethical consequences to determine the nature of the person’s next existence.”
The very basis of karma is based upon reincarnation. Many believe that each person is born with karma that results from their past lives and will affect their future lives.
As a Christian, when you talk about “karma” as if it were a fact, you are not just spitting out a popular cliche, but rather stating a belief that it is you and your words and actions affect your future destiny. But as followers of God, are we in exclusive charge of our destinies? Do we keep on being reborn into a better—or worse—life because of what we do and say?
Paul Thaggard writes, “Karma originated in Indian religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism, but is also used in the West to mean that good deeds will be rewarded with good results, with the opposite for bad deeds. This assumption is captured in the popular saying ‘What goes around comes around and in the much older proverb ‘As you sow, so shall you reap.’”
It is not Scripturally accurate to believe that all of life is simply a result of our actions. True, the Bible does teach that what we sow we will reap. The Bible says, “If you reap to the flesh, you will reap corruption, but if you sow into the (Holy) Spirit you will reap life.”
When good things happen, give God praise and call it a blessing. When bad things happen, trust that God will turn it for good.
Much evil comes to our lives because of our sins and the sins of others. But no amount of good works or good actions will remove the consequence of sin. God’s grace can, and the cross of Christ does through faith.
It is misguided to assume every detail of life is somehow in our control. Actually, it is God who is in control. Bad things can happen to good people and at times not of our own doing. Yes, there is a devil who walks about like a roaring lion, but there is a loving Heavenly Father that treats us much better than we deserve. By grace, we have been saved, through faith…not karma!
Hard things in our lives are not because of something we have done or said in a past life. There is only one life—NOW! We have only this present life to live for God.
These hard things can be changed by prayer and by speaking faith and Scripture over situations and people.
We should take responsibility for our actions because we are Christ-followers, not because we fear KARMA.
Our works of faith, excellent as they might be, are not a replacement for the need for God’s grace in our lives. It’s His goodness and mercy that “follow us all the days of our lives,” not KARMA.
We should give thanks in every situation. We should take all matters to God in prayer. This demonstrates our faith in a living God whose goodness and grace and love will prevail, not KARMA.
Forget Karma. Remember the work of the Lord Jesus to bring us into a relationship with the Father. It’s a better way and a better life.
When good things happen, give God praise and call it a blessing. When bad things happen, trust that God will turn it for good. That is so much better than believing in karma—that is faith. That is what pleases God.
MEDITATE
Do you believe in karma? Are your actions motivated by a belief that you are in control of everything that happens in your life? Do you think everything that is happening to you is simply a sum of your actions? It is time to put that belief aside. You have one life – use it wisely.
STUDY
Ephesians 2:8-9, “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.”
Reading Plan: Genesis 22-28
PRAY
Heavenly Father, forgive me for not acknowledging that you are in control. I choose to have faith and to do good because of who I am in you. I commit to pray and believe that you will help me overcome the hard things in my life.
LIVE
Forget karma, have faith! Speak faith and Scripture over the difficult circumstances and people in your life. Take responsibility for your actions and give thanks in every situation – because you are a child of God. He is still in control. #ForgetKarma #Faith #Prayer #Grace
