All Things Work Together...

"And we know all things work together for good..."

How many times have you seen that verse, and the person saying it, reassuring you everything is going to be okay. Something terrible just happened, well that's okay, because everything is going to turn out for the good! and good means happiness, right? You may be in dire financial straits now, but don't worry, you'll get that dream house you have always wanted, because God is working for your good, your happiness. Right?

I hate to pop your bubble, but that's not what that verse means. Honestly, I always knew it was misquoted, but I didn't realize HOW MUCH it was misconstrued until a pastor preached on this verse. Before we delve into what this verse means, let's see the entire verse, because what is normally quoted, is just half of it. 

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

Right off the bat, we see that this verse is for Christians- born again believers. It also says we are called according to HIS purpose. So now we need to break down one word in this verse. 

Good. 

What is good? 

Luke 18:19 says: ""Why do you call me good?" Jesus asked him. "Only God is truly good."So good here doesn't mean happiness. It means perfection. What is perfection, in a Christian's life? A life exactly like Jesus, something we are striving towards until we are called home, and are given that perfection. 

So the verse means something like this:
All things work together for you, who love God and are called to His purpose, to become more like Christ. 

So this has nothing to do with you getting what you want in the end, but everything to do with what He wants for us, and that is a closer relationship with Him. However, as we get closer to God, what we want and what He wants should start looking like the same thing. Losing my three babies to early miscarriage didn't make me happy, and I don't understand it at all, but I know this-that God is working it to a greater relationship with Him. Perhaps you don't understand why you are in the circumstance you are in right now, but God is working it for perfection in Jesus! Perhaps what you are going through can be the talking point to help someone come to Christ, and in light of eternity, it's all that matters!