Does God Cause Karma?

A young couple with a very troubled marriage came to me for counseling. She had hurt her husband very deeply through her unfaithfulness.  She readily confessed her sin and was repentant.  The husband on the other hand made a statement which I have heard frequently.  He said, "I am a good person.  I do right.  Why did God allow this to happen to me?"   I gently replied, "That kind of thinking is not Christianity. It's karma."  Karma is the false belief that doing good will return good to me. 

I have found that many of us believe God operates in the realm of karma. Like this young husband, we believe doing good insures God will reward us with good circumstances.   If we believe that, then our view of who God is will disappoint us.  Obeying God is not a guarantee of good circumstances.  Don't get me wrong, there are blessings in obeying God but that does not guarantee good circumstances from God.  The gospel of grace promises us that God loves us when things are good AND when things are bad.  Roman 8:39 reminds us that nothing can separate us from God's love which is "in Christ Jesus." Where are we who believe in Jesus?  We are "in Christ Jesus". Therefore, we are always in the middle of God's love when life is good and when life is bad whether we feel it or not.  He loves us!  Would you by faith tell Him you believe that right now?
 Be Free in Christ,                                               
Mark Maulding
President and Founder
Grace Life International