I've been sitting on this post for a few weeks and want to share it with you now. I read a post about Whitney Houston's death. In it the writer stated that because of her belief in God that she was now in heaven. Tucked into the post were these words..."Had she loved Jesus with all her heart and all
her soul and been able to lead the life He
speaks about in His word,.... perhaps she
would have beaten those demons once
and for all. But God called her home to be
with Him, (probably as act of mercy!)"
So was it God's will for Ms. Houston to die as she did?
Many people use those words, "God called her/him home" in an attempt to comfort those who grieve. Unfortunately those words may cause more pain than comfort. Innocent people die every day. Some die because there bodies have grown old and their vital organs can no longer keep their bodies alive. Some die because of a trauma to their body such as heart attacks and car accidents. Some people bring on their own traumas from lifestyle choices (smoking, drinking, drugs). Others die before they take their first breath (stillborn, miscarriage, abortions). So which of these would you say was God's will? Which type of death best glorifies God? Is this an act of mercy by God for people to die other than old age or martyrdom?
I don't think I can say yes. I believe God gives us a life to live in hopes that we will come into a relationship with God that will last for all eternity. God gives us a will and a brain to make choices to either glorify God or to not glorify God. Sometimes, whether we believe in Jesus as our Savior or not, we make life ending choices and it hurts the people we love.
Bottom line. Was it God's will that Ms. Houston die in a bathtub? I have great doubts about that. Was it God's will that Ms. Houston live a life that glorified God, even in the midst of some of the difficult moments that she must have lived through? Absolutely! So please be careful what you say to those walking through a season of their lives dealing with death... I know I would not walk up to her grieving daughter and say, "It was God's will that your mother die in a bathtub", which is what she would hear when you say, "God called her home".
