Is Murphy’s Law Biblical?

Does the Bible mentioned “Murphy’s Law” or something similar to it?

Murphy’s Law

Murphy’s Law is a facetious proposition that if something can go wrong, it will. Originally, it was said to be, “If there are two or more ways to do something, and one of those ways can result in a catastrophe, then someone will do it.” The source was Edward A. Murphy, Jr who was one of several engineers who designed and experimented with a rocket-sled for the U.S. Air Force in 1949 which was intended to test human acceleration tolerances. Of the 16 sensors that were installed, every single one of them was installed in the opposite manner. It’s sometimes called Finagle’s Law or “Finagle’s Law of Dynamic Negatives.” Obviously, this law is not a law of God as it does not appear in the Bible, but are there similar propositions in Scripture?

The Five Laws of Sowing and Reaping

The Bible frequently mentions that what we sow we will reap, but the so-called Five Laws of Sowing and Reaping goes like this; A farmer sows seed; the farmer sows a certain seed that respects the ability of the seed sown; then the same farmer reaps what is sown; and even a single row that is sown will reap many times what is sown; when the harvest comes, the farmer reaps exactly what he/she has sown, but reaps much more than what he/she sows; and lastly, the farmer reaps much later than when he/she has sown. It’s a simple “Cause and effect” where the seed’s being planted is the cause, and the effect is the harvest. No farmer that sows a seed expects an immediate harvest. The farmer is patient as they wait for the seed to sprout. Although it appears to the naked eye that nothing is coming from the sown seed because the seed is no longer visible, in time, more will be reaped than what was originally sown, so is this principle taught in the Bible? Absolutely.

Reaping to the Flesh

The Apostle Paul wrote much about reaping and sowing, but one place in particular has to do with what we reap life is what we sow at the end of life, writing “For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life” (Gal 6:8). That is consistent with the farmers sowing as he/she reaps much more than what they’ve sown, and what value could possibly be placed on reaping eternal life? What price can you place on a human soul and their final destination for all eternity? Jesus said “what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul” (Matt 16:26)? Someday “the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done” (Matt 16:27), so whatever they’ve sown in this world, either to the flesh or for Christ, the reaping will surely come. For some, it will be not what they wanted, but nonetheless, it will be what they deserve. Solomon’s rhetorical question is; “Will He not render to man according to his work” (Prov 24:12)? Of course he/she will.

Sowing and Reaping

The Apostle Paul wanted the Galatians to “not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap” (Gal 6:7). No one can sow thistles and harvest corn. None have ever sown corn and gotten tomatoes. God cannot be mocked or fooled. He sees into the human heart (1st Sam 16:7). Paul says “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (2nd Cor 9:6). If you give little or nothing to help others, don’t be shocked if you receive little or nothing. Bountiful giving produces an even more bountiful harvest…but sparing the seed will cause God to spare your harvest.

Conclusion

If you are laboring in love for the Lord and for His glory alone and not yours, then you will receive a great reward someday, so Paul encourages you be saying, “let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” (Gal 6:9). The Bible also teaches that if we’re sowing to be seen by others, we already have our reward, but if it’s done secretly and only God knows about it, then He will openly reward you someday. If you tell others about your good works, then that is your reward, paid in full, but if you tell no one, your reward is coming. What you do so that others remember will be forgotten by God, but if you tell no one, God will not forget your works. This is what Jesus meant by saying “when you do merciful deeds, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand does” (Matt 6:3), since if “your giving may be in secret [then] your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matt 6:4). Don’t let it be so “that they may be praised by others” (Matt 6:2). This may explain why the righteous will be pleasantly surprised someday. They will say to Christ, “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me” (Matt 25:44-45). Is Murphy’s Law Biblical? No, but the law of reaping and sowing is.

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren Church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.