Originally written for First Lutheran Church Reflections, July 2005
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
Over the past several years, I have been asked many times what my favorite Bible verse is and while there are numerous verses from which I could choose, it seems I keep coming back to this one. No matter what else is going on in my life, this verse stands out as a reminder of God's love and care in all times.
While this verse is most often used to give hope to those going through difficult times, it is really a promise to which we can all cling and count on every day of our lives. We are all called to serve and love God - that makes everyone one of the "called" ones; the one to whom the promise is given. In this verse is the promise that whether the times are good, bad, or indifferent, God is working for our good. He takes care of us and surrounds us with his love.
We are free to do whatever we need to do to serve him and share his love with those around us. We don't need to waste time worrying about ourselves or what we think is good for us because God will take care of all those details. All we need to do is focus on him and on what we can do to love and serve him. Trusting in this promise, our focus can be on others rather than on our own circumstances.
Relying on this promise, our jobs stop being a never ending effort to make more money and instead become an opportunity to share God's love and serve him by serving others; our bosses, our students, our clients, customers, co-workers, or strangers. Our offerings become less of a bill to be paid and more of an opportunity to give back to God what he has first given us. When we remember that God is working for our good we can relax and let God be God.
It's not an easy step to take. We want to be in control. But letting God have control leads us to new places, new experiences, new joys, and new opportunities. And we can rest assured that it will be good because we have that promise that in all things God is working for our good. There will be bumps. There will be rainy days and sometimes horrible storms. But God is still there with us and he is still working for our good.
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
Over the past several years, I have been asked many times what my favorite Bible verse is and while there are numerous verses from which I could choose, it seems I keep coming back to this one. No matter what else is going on in my life, this verse stands out as a reminder of God's love and care in all times.
While this verse is most often used to give hope to those going through difficult times, it is really a promise to which we can all cling and count on every day of our lives. We are all called to serve and love God - that makes everyone one of the "called" ones; the one to whom the promise is given. In this verse is the promise that whether the times are good, bad, or indifferent, God is working for our good. He takes care of us and surrounds us with his love.
We are free to do whatever we need to do to serve him and share his love with those around us. We don't need to waste time worrying about ourselves or what we think is good for us because God will take care of all those details. All we need to do is focus on him and on what we can do to love and serve him. Trusting in this promise, our focus can be on others rather than on our own circumstances.
Relying on this promise, our jobs stop being a never ending effort to make more money and instead become an opportunity to share God's love and serve him by serving others; our bosses, our students, our clients, customers, co-workers, or strangers. Our offerings become less of a bill to be paid and more of an opportunity to give back to God what he has first given us. When we remember that God is working for our good we can relax and let God be God.
It's not an easy step to take. We want to be in control. But letting God have control leads us to new places, new experiences, new joys, and new opportunities. And we can rest assured that it will be good because we have that promise that in all things God is working for our good. There will be bumps. There will be rainy days and sometimes horrible storms. But God is still there with us and he is still working for our good.
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