We are all quite knowledgeable of the word ‘Karma’ aren’t we? It originates from a Hindu belief and it’s philosophy connotes that for everything you do, there is a direct, balanced consequence which will take place some time in your life. What does the Bible say about it? Does Karma exist in Christianity?
Is there such a thing as Karma in the Bible?
God is an angry God as my previous entry has pointed out. He judges us for what our hearts contain. But He is also a loving God and He forgives us of our sins through the death of His son Jesus Christ on the cross. So where am I getting at?
When you forgive someone it means you know that the person has offended you and yet you do not count your will or desire to get even with him or her. God said that when He forgives us, He forgets our iniquities which means that He does not count it against us anymore. When something bad happens to us, we sometimes tend to think that God is punishing us for something wrong we’ve done before. And it’s normal right? We were brought up with the concept of Karma in our minds that we think it’s God’s punishment whenever something bad happens in our lives.
What’s the truth behind it? Is this ‘punishment’ or ‘Karma’ real? Is it in line with the Bible?
1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
So what does this verse mean? It means that God has put it all away. Meaning if something bad happens in your life it’s not because of something wrong you’ve done in the past. It has nothing to do with it because God has forgiven you when you asked Him and confessed your sins to Him.
‘Karma’ and ‘punishment’ is not what we think it is – it is God’s discipline to us not because of anything we’ve done wrong but because He loves us too much to let us stay just the way we are. Troubles, problems and trials in life happens because that’s when we depend on God the most. It is God’s way of disciplining us to mold us to become more like Christ.
C.S. Lewis once said that “pain is God’s megaphone to rouse a deaf world” it’s the same as trials in our lives is God’s discipline to our character. Don’t think of it as punishment or as a sort of ‘Karma’ Every trial and burden and pain happens for a reason – because God let it. And His purpose is to mold you to become more like Him in order for you to glorify Him by living a light that shows His character to other people.
