Sometime ago I heard a new Christian song that went like this: “I am forgiven, I have been given another chance. There’s no condemnation. Your grace is sufficient to cover my past.” An alarm bell immediately went off in my spirit. Chance! This word describes an unknown and unpredictable happening with no assignable cause. It’s associated with luck and accidental outcome, like a lottery ticket, a slot machine, a roll of the dice, or spinning a fortune wheel. Yes, English speakers have made this a synonym for opportunity, but the two could not be different. Chance comes from an old French word that simply means where something lands when it falls. Opportunity means: the right time and the right place. Receiving God’s grace is certainly more than luck or coincidence. I’m sure the songwriters meant well, and the melody is catchy. But without God sending His Holy Spirit, what chance did we have? None! And after the Holy Spirit came, was meeting Him dependent on chance? Absolutely not! God didn’t take a chance on us; He sent the Holy Spirit on purpose to called us for a reason. Once we are His, if we disobey His will, getting back in harmony with Him won’t be by chance. No, if we confess our sins, He forgives us of our sins, and we continue our relationship. He doesn’t just give us a second chance to start all over. God’s purpose for our lives is not like a dart board, so that each time we miss the mark we try again to see if we’re luckier the next time. No, He takes us by the hand and leads us where He wants us to go, so we can be what He intended for us to be. So do not depend upon chance to find your place in God’s plan for your life, let Him guide you there on purpose.