Myth Busting

The Christian myth states: The safest place to be is in the center of God’s will.

The first problem with that philosophy is that personal experience seems to prove it wrong. Unsafe things can and do happen to people who are doing the right thing. We ought not assume, whenever something unsafe has occurred, that those damaged were somehow not acting within the will of God.

The second problem is that scripture does not support it. Those who are in God’s will are promised both peace of heart and divine attention; He cares for us. Yet safety is mentioned as something that unjust men trust in and enjoy as often as something that is provided by God to the faithful (IThes 5:3, Ez 39:6, Is 30:2-3, Job 21:9). The complaint is lodged that the righteous do NOT enjoy safety, and that the unjust do (Job 5:4, Job 21:9, Ps 37, Ps 73). God promises to give safety at some time in the future (sometimes implying that the present time will be dangerous). (Ps 12:5). In other verses, safety is to be provided only at the end of the age. (Jer 32:37, Jer 33:16, Hos 2:18) All of this does not add up to a scriptural promise of day to day safety on the condition that we are doing His will.

“’Course he isn’t safe. But He’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”
C.S. Lewis The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe

Being in the will of God isn’t safe. But it is right and good. And God is able to work the often unsafe consequences out for the good.