All Things for the Good?

Sunday's text was Romans 8:28 (NIV), which reads: 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.

Let's not assume the Apostle Paul is saying that Christians can expect all good all the time. After all, Jesus himself warned us that we would experience trouble in this world (John 16:33).

The author of James writes: You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way (James 1:3-4, The Message). Instead of taking a short cut and shortcircuiting God's plan for our good, sometimes we just have to give God time to work.

There's an old Chinese story about a poor widowed farmer living on a small plot of land with his only son. The farmer owned an old mare that he used for plowing and pulling his wagon to market, but one day the mare ran off. All the neighbors said, What grave misfortune has befallen you, to lose your mare.

The farmer replied, Why do you say this is misfortune? It's too early to tell.

A few days later the mare returned with two beautiful wild stallions. All the neighbors exclaimed, Fortune has smiled on you. Your mare returned with two stallions.

The farmer answered, Why do you assume this is good fortune? It is too early to tell.

When the farmer's son tried to break the stallions, one of them threw him to the hard ground, breaking his leg. The neighbors all chimed in, Farmer, you are surely cursed; your son has broken his leg.

To which the farmer replied, Once again, why do you think this is necessarily a curse? It's too soon to tell. And the neighbors just shook their heads at the old man's foolishness.

Soon after that, an enemy attacked the Chinese borders. All the able-bodied young men in the villages were drafted to fight, but because of the son's broken leg he was left behind. Although the enemy was repelled, many of those young draftees were killed, never to return to their villages.

The old farmer's neighbors acknowledged, At last we see what you were saying. We thought you were unlucky when your mare ran off, but misfortune turned to fortune when she returned with two stallions. But the blessing of the stallions turned into a curse when your son broke his leg. But even that turned around when the enemy attacked and your son's life was spared because of his injury. What seemed a curse turned into a blessing, which in turn became a curse, which again (with time) became a blessing.

Often what seems like a curse is really just a blessing with a timer. If we can hold on, we will see our redemption.

What is God trying to do in your life right now?