baldilocks: Lucking Out

July 28, 2009

Lucking Out

Two people have recommended the book The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene to me. So I did what seemed logical when two are in agreement about a book: I went ahead and ordered it from Amazon yesterday and it shipped a few hours after I did so. (I had read the book partially but I had checked the book out of the library. And because I’m usually reading a minimum of two books simultaneously, I didn’t get to read it before I had to take the book back.)

One of the proponents of the book--Tamon Pearson, a Facebook friend--called the following law ‘the most memorable’ for him: “Avoid the unhappy and the unlucky.” Am I intrigued by this caution? You bet. But, at the same time, the admonition seems almost redundant.

As a Christian, I try to stay away from certain words; words that indicate a life ruled by chance; words which imply that that any force has power over the power of God—words like ‘lucky,’ ‘fortunate’ ‘unfortunate,’ even words like ‘coincidence.’ I stay away from those words because they indicate disbelief, doubt and/or non-belief in the identity and character of the God of the Bible.

But thinking about the word ‘unlucky’ and joining it to the concept of unhappiness, those who are “unlucky” seem to be those who believe that nothing good will happen to them. As a result, usually, nothing does and even when they "luck up" and something good does happen to them, they find some flaw in that good thing and complain about it.

There are those who believe that things will never turn out all right. In other words, there are those who have little to no faith in God and, therefore, such people don’t believe that God loves them, wants them to be happy *and* has the power to make that happen.

Now I’m not saying that God is going to let even those who consistently have faith in Him have anything and everything that they want, because God knows that not everything that an individual wants is necessarily going to be good for that individual. But those who are “unlucky” can’t even take pleasure in getting lucky (if you’ll pardon the expression). No. The "unlucky" will remain under that dark cloud, refuse to be moved and, as a result, the unholy union of unluckiness and unhappiness is joined together.

Further, the "unlucky" often have removed themselves from the Providence of God, either by omission or commission. Rather than being “unlucky” what such people are subject to are the forces of Chaos. They are outside of the Order that God provides which means, as the saying goes, feces will happen to that person. So this leads us back to the law which Tamon found so remarkable: if you know an Unhappy-Unlucky person, you want to stay far away from them because you don’t want feces to happen to you merely because of proximity.

Conversely, those of us who believe in God’s Providence, who believe in the Bible’s promises, who believe in the power of God, are always “lucky,” are always “fortunate” and are, therefore, always “happy” even in sorrow, because the one thing that we know and are always happy about is that our souls are saved—that everything will come out alright in the end for us. We have our Blessed Assurance in Jesus Christ.

And ultimately, if we have faith, things are going to turn out alright not just in the end but while we are trying to get to the end.

My pastor, learned in the languages of the Bible—ancient Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic--taught us that the word for ‘power’in Greek when discussing God’s power is ‘dynamis,’ obviously the origin of the words ‘dynamite’ and ‘dynamic’—the agent and description of radical change. It is the type of change that certain earthly politicians can’t begin to fathom. God can change things; like your “luck”—but only if you ask and believe that it will happen.

(‘Power’ Reference: Strong’s Strongest Concordance 1411)

"COINCIDENTALLY": Went to the barber shop today. When one of the other barbers--not mine--noticed that I was reading Prayers for the Assassin, he remarked: "You should read this book 48 Laws of Power...." Boom!

Jul 28, 2009 5:27:25 AM | Books, Religion

7 Comments

Thanks for sharing. Very thoughtful.

Posted by: Ed Bonderenka | July 28, 2009 at 03:02 PM

It sounds like a really interesting book. I'm going to have to check it out.

Posted by: Mike | July 29, 2009 at 09:33 AM

Nancy Armstrong
MisPlaceDemocrat Passed away Nancy organized Tea Parties in Wichita and
appeared on Glenn Beck she was a 13 Year Navy Veteran. I am really
going to miss her. I included video she was a wonderful American Patriot.

http://youhavetobethistalltogoonthisride.blogspot.com/2009/07/god-speed-nancy-armstrong.html

Posted by: Ree | July 30, 2009 at 08:19 AM

So... I've read this book, too... thought it was quite good. And I have also pondered this concept of luck.

My first observation:

Ecclesiastes 9:11 says... I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

Ecclesiastes 7:13 says: Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked? 7:14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him. 7:15 All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness.

Are these describing "luck"?

Second observation: I believe in the power of prayer. I believe God will help us when we ask, and even when we don't ask. I have had it happen in my own life. I also believe that "thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven", meaning that God has a choice as to what to do, regardless of what we pray. Sometimes what we want, or they way we want it, isn't going to be the way things turn out. We might not always understand why, but it's still important to trust Him.

Third observation: Not always is bad stuff a result of something we have done wrong. I have asked myself: Was Jesus doing something wrong to be crucified? What about Job? And what about all those prophets and innocents whose blood was shed by evil people?

Yet, I have seen evil people seem to reach great heights... and seen messed up people get something good... and later tragically fall, reaping what they sowed. And I believe that the perpetually "unlucky" often are bringing it on themselves because of foolish or evil motives and actions. Greene says, regarding the "unlucky", in his book (p. 79) "It stems from an inward instability that radiates outward, drawing disaster upon itself. There is almost a desire to destroy and unsettle." Regarding the unhappy, he says (p. 80) "They often present themselves as victims, making it difficult, at first, to see their miseries as self inflicted."

My conclusion: Things are much more complex than I originally thought when I was younger. I think there is chance. I think there is prayer. And I think we are given the free will to choose what to do in the circumstances of life.

I always figure if you do the right things, you'll get the right results. And if you don't get the right results, at least you can live with yourself.

Posted by: Sam The Dog Trainer | July 30, 2009 at 07:49 PM

Sam, It's my understanding that Ecclesiastes, while inspired, is not meant as God's will for us.
For instance, everything is NOT vanity, etc. It's how the author felt when he wrote it, give the dissolute life he had chosen.
Other than that, I tend to agree with everything you've said.
"Stuff happens".
How we handle it is the part God's looking for.
I'm glad I read your comment.
I was about to say that I wish things were more "fair", but I remembered that I'd be a pile of ash if so.

Posted by: Ed Bonderenka | July 31, 2009 at 07:34 PM