You are right, I did not specify that, so I will try to now.
First, I don't believe in chance. That puts me pretty much out of the mainstream right there, even among christians, but so be it. I don't really want to get into a lengthy philosophical / theological debate about it, since I have found such debates to be utterly fruitless, but basically I believe that God orders our lives for our good and his glory.
Anyway, if something happens to me or if I do something that has negative consequences, that is between me and God with regard to personal consequences. Do I have faith that he will provide? Do I have faith that, even if he doesn't, it is still for my ultimate benefit? It's easy to say I do when everything is going well. It's quite another to demonstrate that I do in adverse circumstances.
So, second, to me, buying insurance is an act of unbelief. It's fine with me if the rest of the world wants to do it, but I cannot, since it would be a clear demonstration of my lack of faith that God will provide, even if that provision is what the world calls catastrophic. (Perhaps a little catastrophe is just what I need to make me pay attention to something I've been neglecting! This is not a popular view, obviously.)
Here's an article that explains it better than I have here, but I will say ahead of time that it will be unlikely to make sense if you do not believe in God.
"[It should be a serious question with a child of God, ere he avails himself of an assurance company, whether in the matter of fire or life, "Am I, hereby, distrusting God? or, am I seeking by human agency to counteract divine visitations? There is something sadly anomalous in a Christian's insuring his life. He professes to be dead, and that Christ is his life: why then talk of insuring his life? But many will say, "We cannot bring Christianity into such things." I ask, Where are we to leave it? Is Christianity a convenient sort of garment, which we put on on Lord's day, and at the close of that day take it off, fold it carefully up, and lay it on the shelf till the following Lord's day? It is too often thus. People have two characters; and what is this but the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy? Insurance offices are all very well for the men of this world, who should certainly avail themselves of them, inasmuch as everything around and within is so uncertain, but to the child of God, all is sure. God has insured his life for ever; and, hence, he should regard insurance offices as so many depots of unbelief.] These things do very well for men who are only governed by now; but the disciple of Christ is to be governed by then. This makes all the difference; and truly it is a serious difference."
It suggests that you can simultaneously believe that God will provide/save/whatever and still take material opportunities presented to you.
(I don't have the same belief system as you, and I do not seek to change your view. Just sharing a different perspective that I remember hearing many years ago.)
First, I don't believe in chance. That puts me pretty much out of the mainstream right there, even among christians, but so be it. I don't really want to get into a lengthy philosophical / theological debate about it, since I have found such debates to be utterly fruitless, but basically I believe that God orders our lives for our good and his glory.
Anyway, if something happens to me or if I do something that has negative consequences, that is between me and God with regard to personal consequences. Do I have faith that he will provide? Do I have faith that, even if he doesn't, it is still for my ultimate benefit? It's easy to say I do when everything is going well. It's quite another to demonstrate that I do in adverse circumstances.
So, second, to me, buying insurance is an act of unbelief. It's fine with me if the rest of the world wants to do it, but I cannot, since it would be a clear demonstration of my lack of faith that God will provide, even if that provision is what the world calls catastrophic. (Perhaps a little catastrophe is just what I need to make me pay attention to something I've been neglecting! This is not a popular view, obviously.)
Here's an article that explains it better than I have here, but I will say ahead of time that it will be unlikely to make sense if you do not believe in God.
"[It should be a serious question with a child of God, ere he avails himself of an assurance company, whether in the matter of fire or life, "Am I, hereby, distrusting God? or, am I seeking by human agency to counteract divine visitations? There is something sadly anomalous in a Christian's insuring his life. He professes to be dead, and that Christ is his life: why then talk of insuring his life? But many will say, "We cannot bring Christianity into such things." I ask, Where are we to leave it? Is Christianity a convenient sort of garment, which we put on on Lord's day, and at the close of that day take it off, fold it carefully up, and lay it on the shelf till the following Lord's day? It is too often thus. People have two characters; and what is this but the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy? Insurance offices are all very well for the men of this world, who should certainly avail themselves of them, inasmuch as everything around and within is so uncertain, but to the child of God, all is sure. God has insured his life for ever; and, hence, he should regard insurance offices as so many depots of unbelief.] These things do very well for men who are only governed by now; but the disciple of Christ is to be governed by then. This makes all the difference; and truly it is a serious difference."
(From http://www.stempublishing.com/authors/mackintosh/Bk2/TIMETER... )
A comment from the same author on practice:
http://www.stempublishing.com/authors/mackintosh/Shrt/SHORTP...