Luck is A Bad Four Letter Word
“What’s wrong with luck?” you wonder. “Aren’t there worse four-letter-words that you could write a post about to get people to stop using them?” No, I don’t think so. Everybody above the age of five knows what those other four-letter-words are to be avoided. Luck is in a category all by itself. It’s not a word that’s inherently offensive. But there are good reasons why we shouldn’t use it.
Have you ever thought about the fact that the Bible doesn’t use the word luck? Let’s consider what I believe to be the three main reasons why the Bible doesn’t talk about luck.
1. Luck Leaves God Out
[Tweet “Luck is a way to try to explain things without including God in the discussion.”] We don’t use the word God and the word luck in the same sentence. When something unexpectedly good happens to a person people say, “He’s so lucky!” Do they mean God caused the good fortune? Not at all. If they meant that they would say, “God was good to him!” People don’t usually say “God made you lucky.” God and luck don’t go together.
2. There’s No Such Thing as Luck
The dictionary defines luck as “the things that happen to a person because of chance: the accidental way things happen without being planned, good fortune.” What is chance? It’s something happening by accident or without design. Think about it. If there is something called chance, that isn’t controlled by God and it causes things to happen, then chance must be a god, too. No, there’s no such thing as chance or luck.
3. Luck is an Idol
An idol is anything that one turns to instead of to God. In India and many other countries people have actual idols made with hands that they worship. People pray to them and believe that by burning incense to them good things will happen to them.
Many professional athletes have “lucky” rituals like wearing certain items of clothing over and over. Doing that or having lucky numbers or anything like that is no different from burning incense to or praying to a piece of wood.
The Problem with Saying “Good Luck”
What do you mean when you say “Good luck”? What is your intent? Are you saying “I hope that random chance events outside of everyone’s, including God’s, control will turn out for your benefit”? That is exactly what you mean when you say “Good luck.”
5 Things That Are Not Left Up to Luck.
For perspective here are 5 things that some attribute to luck that the Bible tells us God actively controls:
- little things, like food for birds Matthew 10:29-31.
- random things, the roll of the dice Proverbs 16:33.
- powerful things, those who control us Proverbs 21:1.
- bad things, for our good Genesis 50:20.
- good things, every good gift James 1:17.
Luck isn’t real. God is real. Let’s honor God with our words. Instead of saying “Good luck” either say, “May God bless you” or if you’re concerned people will think you’re a religious nut for saying that, say “I hope all goes well for you.” Both will honor God. Saying “Good luck” doesn’t.
Please leave a comment or question below.
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I don’t believe in luck when I say it, it seems to me that I belittle God as if he is partial, cos I know every man has his or her destiny which has to be fulfilled? I believe that man is favored by his grace not luck, luck sounds to me like some and dislike some is not correct for one to tell me you are lucky instead say to me you are favored by his grace. The word Favor blessing, pray all is well, destiny and grace is both spiritually and physically correct even in English language. Luck is chances and chances can be evil
Michael, I think there are many Christians that say “good luck” but really mean, “I wish you well.” This is one of my pet peeves, something that for some reason is important to me, even though to many it is a minor topic. I believe firmly that nothing happens by accident. Nothing. So I intentionally don’t say the word “luck”. For me, it is taking away from God. I don’t say that is true of others, but it is of me, so that’s why I don’t say it. Thanks for your comment!
I have been having this discussion with my family because I’m wrestling with the difference between luck and blessing/favor. I am searching the Scriptures because I want to know what God says…not man. Little did I know the Bible does speak about luck. Duet. 33:29, Psalm 25:22, 32:1-2, 41:1-3, 72:9-14, & 77:7-10 (The Message) are some good examples of the language used when we talk about “good fortune,” “bad luck,” or being “down on our luck.” I don’t think God looks down on us for using the word luck(y). I think when we say we have bad luck as Christians it then becomes necessary for us to acknowledge the Divine Hand who has the power to orchestrate things in our favor and turn our bad luck into a blessing!
Thank you. I read several other web site offerings and it is interesting that most Secular definitions couldn’t agree if the word luck was of German . Russian, Slovic, Scandanavian. MOST Christian (religious) offerings agreed the words origin stem from Lucifer. Whether it does or doesn’t I(I opt for the former) just the definition would lead one to: as the point is made; that one does not believe in God’s plans and timings. I get so tired of folks posting fotos of angels and encourage them with words of Good Luck. Or for that matter dead people (espec babies) become angels when they ascend to Heaven. Or that women are also angels. Good luck with that theology.. Again Thank you
Amen. I noticed when I became a new born Christian the words that this culture uses that’s deemed culturally accepted. Luck was one of them. And now when someone else tells me good luck, it’s actually offensive because I know they are undermining God’s will, and most the time they say it so much that they don’t even realize it. But I’ve learned patience. I have to remind myself that a blind man cannot see. So I will simply tell them to not wish me luck, but speak a blessing upon me. If they ask why, I’ll tell them that God transcends luck. Great article. GOD BLESS!
I do not believe in luck because the Bible speaks against it and that is God’s words and I will take no man’s words on it. Those are the words God gave me to say. I told a brother in Christ that when he said he was lucky. When I said that to him that moment the words first came to me. The man I told that to at least twice I told him before that I hate the word luck. He and his girlfriend were not nice to me for at least 3 months after that. I said the same thing to my brother on the phone in the same tone and he did not find the words to be offensive.
I agree with these reasons. Recently, a brother in Christ rejected the notion that the prefix Luc- is not accidental in the word Luck. I presented to him the notion that “good luck” and “bad luck” replace other phrases that acknowledge the power of God and remind anyone within hearing of the same. Instead of “Go with God”, “God be with you”, or, “May God go before you,” people wish luck onto their friends and loved ones as they undertake or resume a task or journey.
This practice of replace or defile is a common tool of Satanists. They say the Our Father prayer in reverse, adapted the rainbow to represent both homosexuality and pride, and finagled the 6-pointed star, used in witchcraft when the pentagram is just not strong enough, into Judaism as the “Star of David.”
Even the peace symbol is taken from a Satanic rite. It is an inverted cross, with the horizontal members broken. The circle is placed to “seal” the act. This ritual is required when Christians convert to Satanism.
This is how Satanists pervert the words that come out of our mouths.
Though many wish to not accept they were duped (Hollywood uses the phrase A LOT in film. It never adds to the plot line… it is there to condition its use in common speech.) into using the phrase, they need to ask themselves:
Is it wise to wish the random force of “luck” on someone if you don’t know what it actually is? If you will be pleased to see them succeed, say exactly what you mean. “I hope you have a great success,” is better than mystical “good luck.”