It’s Working For My Good
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
All things? Really?
So, does that mean my furlough, or being laid off, or my pink slip is working for my good? Or, does that mean that my offended family member or close friend cutting-off all communication with me is working for my good? What about this pandemic? Is it working for my good?
These are all valid questions, and there are undoubtedly more that we have struggled with to find reasoning. Yet, there is an answer that can bring consolation to our souls. Paul said, “All things work together for good” not all things are good. Though notice how he prefaced the sentence with, “And we know that.”
Evidently, Paul had taught this course, and the people of Rome must have passed the class. Paul using the phrase, was a reminder of the lesson already taught. It seems he often used this style of affirmation on occasion. For, he told Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:14, “But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them.” Then in Philippians 4:9, he told the Philippian believers, “The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.”
I would say that’s the characteristic of a good teacher –– always reinforcing the material to make sure their students are confident in what they’ve learned.
But wait. There are five words nestled in the middle of this sentence that makes the working for good conditional –– “to those who love God.”
When we love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength, He works behind the scenes, ensuring that even in the midst of difficult times, even in the midst of testing times, and even in the midst of messy times, God’s good reigns victoriously.
We have to realize that God’s plans and purposes, for our lives, were set into motion at conception. When God and the Holy Spirit, along with the Son, agreed to man’s creation, they drew the plans and determined our life purpose.
I believe that everything that happens on life’s journey points towards purpose and destiny. God can use the bad, as well as the good, to accomplish His divine will. Because guess what? As I heard someone say, “nothing’s wasted.”
The bad things are used to mold, make, and conform us into the image of Christ. And the things that go right are used to bring balance so that the scales don’t tilt too far left or right. Too many sufferings can break us, and too much good can develop into pride and arrogance. There has to be a balance.
The next important phrase that completes this sentence is, “to those who are the called according to His purpose.” His purpose. What is God’s purpose? What is His goal? Well, let me shed some light. Our ultimate destiny is to portray the image of Christ and to share in His glory. That’s the method behind some of the madness.
God’s invitation to us to accept His Son comes with a cost. Yes, we will suffer some. Every day will not be a mountain top experience. Because where there are mountains, there are also valleys. However, it’s our attitude that determines our progress and how we end. If we trust God and lean not on our own understanding by acknowledging Him in all our ways, He will direct our paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
“And we know that”
Sufferings work together for good.
Pain works together for good.
Loss works together for good.
“Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal [in us and] to us later.” (Romans 8:18, NLT)