Should God’s Name Have Been “Coincidence”?

     I knew a man in a small group who used to say that if God’s name had been “Coincidence,” there wouldn’t be any atheists.  He meant that when miracles happen, people often call them coincidences.  Thus, if God’s name had been “Coincidence,” everybody would believe in Him.  Of course, the man was making an irreverent joke.  But his irreverent joke had a grain of truth in it.

     For example, imagine that a man needs a job.  He’s in a coffee shop and sees a friend he hasn’t seen in years.  They chat, and the friend offers him a job.  He rushes home and tells his wife, “Honey!  Guess what!  I got a job!  I was in the coffee shop, and by coincidence my old friend, Harry Taylor, was there and … etc.”  But – what the man probably won’t say is, “Honey, let’s thank God for this wonderful miracle.”

     Or, imagine that a woman needs a new dress for a company party, but can’t afford one she found in a department store.  On the way home, she stops by a consignment shop and sees the identical dress in her size and at a price she can afford.  She buys it, rushes home, and tells her husband, “John, look at this lovely dress!  I stopped at the consignment shop, and by coincidence I saw this one and … etc.”  But – what the woman probably won’t say is, “John, let’s thank God for this wonderful miracle.”

     Why is it that we can’t give God credit for our miracles?  Sadly, it’s not a new problem.  Back in the First Century when Jesus fed 5,000 people with two fish and five loaves of bread, His disciples didn’t understand how it happened.  The historical record of the event says they didn’t understand the miracle because their minds were callused.

     Are our minds callused, too?  Are we too desensitized to recognize God’s miracles in our own lives?  Here’s the test we need to take:  What’s our first thought when we have a surprising solution to a problem in our lives?  Is it, “Thank you, Holy Spirit!”  Or is it, “Wow, what a lucky coincidence that was!”