The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
What does it mean that something is good? I asked this in my small group a few weeks back and we had a lot of different responses, from friends and family to laying out on the beach. What does it mean to you? I think most folks tend to think along these lines: if it make me happy, it’s good. But what does good mean to God? The verse above reminds me of:
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” – Romans 8:28
Does this mean that God is working to make us happy? Certainly, God blesses us at times with things and circumstances that we consider to be good, but doesn’t he also refine us(Psalms 66:10)? Refinement is a process of purification and sometimes, as Christ followers, this process requires sacrifice and suffering. I find that this is usually where God’s definition of good and mine tend to differ. Can we look at the difficult situations in our life and still say “God is good”? Can we say that God is working for my good through the loss of my job or do I consider my singleness a “good and perfect” gift? Can we look past our current situation and have faith that God is working for something truly good through us and in us?
Great journal entry! Yay for the small group shout out. . .