In All Things

Most people have little trouble believing that God created everything and that He is capable of doing anything. They can also wrap their arms around the notion that God is good and that it pleases him when we make good choices. Yet when tragedy, suffering or misfortune happens, many people's faith in God begins to waver. They begin to doubt whether God is really a god of goodness to allow these things to happen. They begin to believe that he is too detached to care about the day-to-day details of our lives.

Romans 8:28 clears up any misconception: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. In this one verse, there are two very powerful truths. First, God is always present and works in all things--not just isolated incidents--for our good. This doesn't mean that all that happens to us is supposed to be good. This doesn't mean that God's purpose is to make us happy. What it means is that God does have a purpose behind everything that happens. It means that God can use every single circumstance in our lives and turn it around for good. I accepted Christ at the funeral of a friend's father. God used the circumstance of one man's death to give me eternal life.

Secondly, God's promise is not for everyone. It is for those who love Him and are called according to his purpose. Those who are called are those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and have been born-again into God's family. Being born-again gives us a new mindset on life. We learn to trust in God and his faithfulness and not the broken promises of the world. We look to Heaven for our security and learn to accept and not resent pain and persecution because God is with us.