If there is smoke, there is a fire. If there is trouble, there is a root. I do not believe in karma or luck or coincidence. I believe in a Sovereign God Who is actively involved in the affairs of men and that “things” don’t just happen. There is a cause and a purpose behind it.

How I try to play this out in my life is when difficulties come, I seek to know what I can learn from these challenges. Or if it is something that is “on repeat” (i.e. I continually have to apologize for doing the same thing over and over,) I dig a little deeper to try and find the hurt, wound or lie that I am believing that is causing me to respond as I do.

Unfortunately, there are times that instead of doing the deep work to get to the cause, I will just cover up the symptoms with food or sleep or busyness. (I am so grateful that heroin is not my drug of choice.) In the end, this only hurts myself.

May we be willing to do the hard work and find those causes and come out victorious on the other side.