Louis Weertz was a high school boxer. Some disconcerting injuries from that sport motivated him to pursue another, quite different interest – piano.
Weertz enjoyed playing a fusion of jazz, classical, and pop, but his college only allowed classical music. They caught him playing the pop tune “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes,” and expelled him. Nevertheless, he persisted. His performance at the Hotel Madison impressed one of the guests, David Kapp. Kapp Records immediately signed the pianist and gave him the stage name, Roger Williams. Williams was one of the most popular musical entertainers during the mid-20th century.
I heard Williams speak and conduct a seminar at my college back in the day. He said (my paraphrase), “People think to make it in the music industry, you have to be lucky. That’s not all of it. You have to be prepared and ready when luck happens.”
It’s not surprising that hard work and preparation are prerequisites for success in the music industry. It makes sense that unexpected opportunities can look like luck and contribute to success. But be careful trying to apply the idea of luck to the Christian life. To do so hints at doing things for God rather than joining in the things God is doing. The difference is who does the preparing and doing.
The founder of Samaritan’s Purse, Bob Pierce, used the term, “God room.” He said, “God has to fill that space – that room – between what’s possible and what He wants done that’s impossible. That’s what I mean by God room.” Pierce recognized the limitations of human vision, resources, and effort and welcomed the providence of God in accomplishing His purposes. The Bible says, “You do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that’” (Jas. 4:14-15).
Jesus used the verbal imagery of a vineyard to express this idea in a very personal way. He said, “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). As the vine provides sustenance to the fruiting branch, He provides what you need to accomplish His purposes in you. This is how “your toil is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:58).
God made you to be productive. Discipline and hard work are admirable traits. But those plus luck are not what accomplishes God’s work in and through you. Success and joy come by making your home (abide) in Christ and leaving the results (fruit) to Him. Luck has nothing to do with it.