I'm willing to bet I'm not completely alone in the way I understood one of the most noted and recited verses in the Bible, Romans 8:28. Now, I'm also willing to bet that a great majority of you, especially the ones who have studied scripture might listen to my words and wonder how I could have totally missed the mark on this one. For those of you like the earlier me, I hope this helps. For those of you who have understood all along, WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME! haha.
Romans 8:28 tell us this
"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" - NIV version
For years, and by years I mean approximately 20, I had heard this verse. Generally spoken during seasons of hardship, or maybe a season of grief and loss to serve as a reminder that God is good and works for our good. That's all fine and great and incredibly true but as we walk those seasons those words sting a little and leave us questioning where we've gone wrong to experience this pain or hardship if our God is working for good.
I mean think about it. You've just lost your job, "Oh, God is working for your good". You've just ended your marriage "Oh, God is working for your good" You just found out your life will be cut short to an illness, "Oh, God is working for your good". The actuality here is that in those moments nothing about any of those can be seen as good, especially when we have a misunderstanding of what "for good" actually is representing in these verses. Let me add here before I even explain my understanding of that verse. Even when we humanly (which is faulty) understand what Paul (the writer of Romans) is saying here the pain that goes along with scenarios I've mentioned or ones I have not is real and appropriate. Do not ever mistake grief for a lack of trust. The lack of trust comes when you allow grief to rule over you. God knows the pain we endure while facing hardships and He knows what grief looks like. He also knows what hope looks like, and he placed it on a Cross so that grief would not win. This one verse will not eliminate grief, it should instead shine a light on hope as you walk through grief so that you find your way out.
So for years my thoughts regarding Romans 8:28 revolved around me and my life on earth. I legitimately thought that this "good" would be coming my way and I (not) so patiently had been waiting for specific answers, exact directions, maybe a new car or house to go along with it which in my earthly opinion were the good things. I also wondered why I had encountered things that were not good during my walk with Christ. He had pursued me and I had accepted him as my Savior yet a year later he took the most important woman in my life at this point. The woman who raised me, my grandmother, home to Him. Great for her, not good for me. I instead was left to fall asleep each night alone only to wake each morning and jump up to my window to make sure the car that was gone the night before was back the next morning. Then two months later suffered an injury that would take sports away from me my senior year of high school. The sports that held that woman I lost two days before this senior year and I together like glue. It was her happy place and was the piece of her I still had, now gone. That was not good... And looking back now those troubles seem minuscule to the loss and devastation I see now as an adult, and I think to my self, this is not good. God where is this "good" you are supposed to be working on?
Spoiler alert:
The good mentioned in the verse is not intended for here on earth.
Prior to knowing Christ life is just life. God is God, but until we come to know Him we are unable to be molded and used for His greater glory. Now our life before Christ is every bit of the testimony of who God is, but our life begins it's purpose when it is found in Christ. The part "for the good of those who love him" That can only be true for those who love him. I mean, that part of the verse is very clear. When we are not one with Christ and do not love him He is unable to work for our good. Our good is in heaven and apart from Christ there is no heaven. God is able and begins to prepare us for our Heavenly home once we accept Him as our Savior, believe who He is and what He has done. He does not end this work until it is completed (Heaven). God is working for our good, it's just that God is working in us and through us for our Heavenly goodness. To know that the hardships, the seasons of grief and pain while walking with the Lord are not in vain and are instead in preparations for our place in Heaven allows for hope despite the earthly view of hopelessness.
Now, can life on earth be good? Most certainly! There is so much beauty and goodness that God allows for us to experience here on earth. However, we cannot allow this beauty and goodness provided to us here to take the place in our hearts that God has made for Him. When things do not appear to be "good" here, we must know that they will be in Heaven and that God is working for our Good in Heaven. He is preparing us for our Heavenly home and because of that I can rest in His peace while waiting out the difficult seasons here on earth and I can trust that the places He has taken me have been preparing me for His heavenly plan and that it is GOOD ya'll!!
So this verse that reminds us that God is working for our good... let it be a reminder that God IS working for our good. Just also remember that Heaven is where it is good, and we will never experience the Eternal good God has planned for until we are in His presence in Heaven.
