Hi, and welcome to Jesus Over Everything, a short practical podcast that mixes encouragement,

the Bible, how-toes, and fantastic interviews for the listener on the go.

I'm Lisa Whittle, and I welcome you to just a few minutes with me, which I trust and pray

will be time well spent.

So February finds us once again unpacking phrases Christians love, looking at some of our most

beloved and yeah, overused and misused a little more closely. Today is a big one. Anyone ever said

to you, well, everything happens for a reason, you know? Yeah, me too. I think I may have even

let it come out of my mouth in the past a time or two,

although I cringe now to think about it, to be honest. I want to talk about why it's probably

time to drop this one from our vocabulary if we're still saying it. Let's get into it today

on Joe.

I have to tell you right off the bat that I love a book by Kate Bowler called Everything

Happens for a Reason and Other Lies I've Loved.

If you haven't read it, you really should.

I won't give a story away, but it is worth reading for so many reasons.

And she really takes on this idea of everything happens for a reason.

Something that I think kind of happens in a twofold way.

First of all,

it might be a belief system that we actually have,

that every single thing that happens to us and in this world is orchestrated by the

hand and command of God that there's meaning in every last thing from, you know,

to if your car won't start in the morning,

...