“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.” Romans 8:28
Opening Prayer
God,
In the middle of the mystery and in the midst of the storm, we are told “that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose”. God, it is easy for us to see You as a distant, far-off figure when we are suffering. The last thing we want to see is goodness, and the last person we can want to be around is You. It’s easy to paint You as a monster, as the taker of good and the bringer of evil, yet we demolish all arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God (2 Corinthians 10:5).
God, You have come to bring life and life to its full (John 10:10). You are the giver of all good things (James 1:17). God, if anything You are the only good we have in life (Mark 10:18). The earth is full of Your goodness (Psalm 33:5). I pray that these would not just be words on a page, verses in a book, but living, breathing truth we live by. God, You let nothing we go through go to waste.
What was meant for evil is taken captive by You and transformed into the good for us and the good of others (Genesis 50:20). This is all in accordance with Your purpose. It is easy to look at our circumstances and ask how a good God can allow suffering. I hope that when we look to the cross, we would remember that for a greater purpose, Jesus willingly laid down His life so that we would be reconciled to You. God, You are constantly working even when He cannot see it. Help us increase our faith to believe in Your promises. We will never be enough unless You come. We will never reach our purpose outside of Your provision. We need You, Jesus, to take the evil and brokenness of this world and make something beautiful. Be with us always.
In Jesus name I pray,
Amen
Our Best is Not Enough
Four years ago, I had decided in my heart to commit to my walk with God. To briefly summarize, it’s been a crazy adventure. Everyday is new. Everyday is exciting. Everyday is extraordinary. I have even seen the supernatural - but you’ll have to ask me for that story personally! It has been a full transformation story of a selfish, prideful, and broken girl into the confident, hope-filled, and loving woman of God that I am now (and continue to become) as I write this blog. I am someone I love being. I love my life. Every moment. Happy or sad. Bad or good. Every moment with God is my treasure.
Throughout my walk with God, there was always uncertainty surrounding my life. I didn’t know where I would be moving to. I didn’t know what college would be like. I didn’t know if SOON Movement would be the right ministry club for me to join. I didn’t know my major. I didn’t know the people I would meet. I didn’t know if I would get over the sudden death of my family member. I didn’t know how many people wanted to know about Jesus. I didn’t know if I would ever get into optometry school. I didn’t know what church I would join coming out of the pandemic.
All of that was not promised or known to me. I didn’t have the faith to believe in God’s goodness yet. I didn’t have the understanding of why God would bring me into the worst season of my life while still calling me to serve. I realized how different God is compared to my expectations of Him. I thought life would be comfortable, happy, and easy with God. I thought that’s what “God loves you” meant. I have come to realize that love is God wanting HIS best for us.
Our best can be so limited in our understanding. It can look like leaving a difficult situation because why would God want us to struggle? It can look like giving up on your dream because it looks impossible to get there. It can look like leaving church because people are hypocrites and we can’t reconcile their brokenness with God’s will for us. It can also look like leaving your faith when your God doesn’t answer with an immediate yes. These are the ideas we think when we assume what’s best for us when it’s really fear and pain not hope and God’s will driving our actions.
God’s best is much more complicated. It is all about refining you into the person He wants you to be. It looks like Daniel and his three friends being thrown into a lion’s den and then a furnace. It looks like Joseph going to jail for two years for a crime he didn’t commit. It looks like David running for his life from his best friend’s dad/the king. It looks like Jonah being swallowed by a big fish! God cares about the process JUST as much as He cares about the final product. We can look at all these situations and see the bad, yet God took these everyday people and used their circumstances to grow them in their faith, hope, and love. He didn’t cause their suffering, but in their suffering He didn’t waste it.
Why is faith, hope, and love so important to cultivate?
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13)
So, we're in the thick of our pain. Maybe we're just in a confusing space. We don't know what's up or down, but suddenly we have to decide what to do. In any situation, God wants us to store up eternal treasures. Anything we do should be adding to these 3 qualities. When you come across a choice that isn’t black-and-white, ask yourself what will produce in me more faith, hope, and love in God? Follow that choice.
Sometimes we wonder what the right choice looks like when neither choice is sinful or inherently wrong. We don’t know what job offer to take on. We don’t know if this role in ministry is right for us. We don’t know if pursuing this relationship is the right step. We don’t know if this is the right community to be in. We don't know how to heal from this horrible situation. We don’t know what’s good and what’s better and what's God's best.
Ask yourself: which choice will be an act of faith, hope, and love? Will this lead you to seek out God more or run from Him? Will this choice cause You to trust God more or to lean into your own understanding? What will challenge you to sacrifice something in the name of faith?
It’s easy to give up. It takes nothing for you to quit something hard. You don’t grow muscles from skipping the gym. You don’t get a degree if you never go to school. Why would you grow faith when you never struggle through anything for God? Struggling for God is different than struggling for things of this world. You can struggle, fail, and have nothing to show for it. You can also struggle, succeed in your goal, and lose out on other parts of your life in the process. Everything else will take from you eventually. It will leave you emptier than it found you. It will rob you of your destiny and ultimately your life: believer or not.
God is not like that. When you go through trials with the heart and mind to seek after Him, He will add to your life. He will give you the patience to endure the hardships. He will give you the hope to be confident that all His promises are already assured. He will give you peace when you logically should have no peace given what’s going on. He will give you love that endures forever and in abundance. Every aspect of your life will overflow regardless of the season. That is the goodness of God.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10
When you go through the storms of life with God, God will take you in his arms. He will be your strong fortress (Psalm 18). He will guide your steps (Psalm 37:23-24). God will not leave you alone - even if you want Him to - that is the great thing about God. He isn’t scared off easily by your doubts or your problems. He wraps you in his arms and cares for you. Did you know that God sings over you (Zephaniah 3:17)?
God cares for you.
How do we know this? Jesus.
God knows how you feel.
How do we know this? Jesus.
God has the power to do the impossible and overcome any circumstances no matter what they are.
How do we know this? Jesus.
Choose the choice that brings you more of Jesus.
Prayer. Reading the Bible. Fasting. Being rooted in community.
That can look like taking the job offer that doesn't pay as well. That can look like giving up 10% of your income to tithe. It can look like forgiving the person who never asked to be forgiven. It can be surrendering everything that's not in your control. Maybe it's choosing to sing and praise while you cry. Or it can look like going on your knees in prayer as you ask God for change to come in your life. It always looks like choosing the choice that makes you wholly dependent on God.
That's what we do when life sucks.
We look to God. We seek after any option that brings us more of Him.
Jesus
I could just end it here because Jesus is the answer to how God works ALL things for good. When sin entered the world, brokenness broke open and the world was ravaged by sin and shame. God knew that would happen, and His one and only solution was to send Jesus to die for us only to rise from the grave after three days. This is how we can be assured that everything is part of the plan.
Your loved one’s death. The relationship that ended. The pain of your parent’s marriage. The dream that ended. The baby that wasn’t born. The loss of your innocence.
God didn’t want that for you. God didn’t inflict that evil.
Yet God will not let it go to waste. Your tears, your prayers, your heart, and your efforts will all be counted and used in this life and into eternity for greatness. Live your life with hope. Live with every moment counting. See the world in wonder because God has made you for so much more than simply being saved. Jesus came so that life would be lived in its fullest.
My life is dedicated to experiencing that. My life is full of joy when I’m happy or sad. I have peace in what feels like the valley of the shadow of death. I have confidence in God’s promises to me. Even if I didn’t, it’s not about my goodness or faithfulness, it is about the steadfastness of God in our life. When I’m not strong enough, my community surrounds me. Angels surround me. God surrounds me. The same promise goes for all those who love God.
God will never let never let you be defeated.
Trust Him.
Choose Him.
Love Him.
He is using everything for your good because it is for His glory.
Psalm 37:23-24: “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.”
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