All Things Working Towards Good

Romans 8:28 says, And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

So you or somebody you know loves God and you can't understand why bad things keep happening... your family member died, you lost your job, you got dumped... What sort of benevolent God would allow these things to happen? Well, I believe the answer is a God that not only loves you more than you could ever imagine, but also one that knows what is best for you. He sees the big picture and He is faithfully working all things towards good in your life.

I have heard it said that this idea that all things work together for good is somehow a cop out, that its just something people say to keep you from sulking. But this couldn't be farther from the truth. God is so perfectly good that He can bring good even from evil. In the Old Testament we read about Joseph who was hated by his brothers, sold into slavery, and later put in prison for false charges. Yet Joseph found that those seemingly terrible things led him to a position of power in Egypt, second only to the pharaoh. When a famine came to the land he was able to save thousands of people by distributing Egypt's stores of food. Among those coming to him in need were the very same brothers who had sold him as a slave so many years earlier. Joseph understood that God's providential hand had been at work and so he said to his brothers, As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today -Genesis 50:20.

If, like Joseph, we recognize that God is moving in our lives then we can have a peace in our hearts no matter what circumstance we find ourselves in. We can thank God that He is in control and trust that in the end, all things are working towards good. Romans 8:32 says He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? So the next time you find yourself questioning what possible good could come out of a difficult, depressing situation; give praise to your benevolent God, that even though you may not understand his processes, you know He is doing a glorious work of good in your life.


Heavenly Father, we put our lives in your hands. We accept that You are indeed working all things towards good. We may live peacefully, resting in our faith and love of You. Thank you Lord.


He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it - 1 Thessalonians 5:24.

Christian Hedonism

First off, life is good. God is good... Coincidence? I think not.

A new quarter at school means new classes, one of which is Hellenistic Philosophy -a course studying the philosophy of the ancient Greek Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. As with most philosophies, things quickly boil down to the question of what the ultimate goal or point of life is. Epicurus thought obtaining happiness through pleasure was the end all be all of life. As such, he advocated a certain type of hedonism in which one simultaneously aims at satisfying the 'natural-necessary' desires while also eliminating 'empty desires' and avoiding pains.

There is a lot to be said about Epicurean hedonism and the other philosophies of the time but what I find fascinating is that though the means of achieving the ultimate goal of life varies from thinker to thinker, they all seem to agree that a sort of 'happiness' is what human beings seek.

I just began reading John Piper's Desiring God which looks quite promising so far. He quotes from the writings of Blaise Pascal saying "There once was in man a true happiness of which now remain to him only the mark and empty trace, which he in vain tries to fill from all his surroundings, seeking from things absent the help he does not obtain in things present. But these are all inadequate, because the infinite abyss can only be filled by an infinite and immutable object, that is to say, only by God Himself ". Basically, we have a God shaped hole in our lives and trying to fill it with good food, good conversation, or good music is not going to bring the happiness that we are seeking, sorry Epicurus.

Piper argues that "The chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever". He coins the term 'Christian hedonism' to describe this idea and I must say I find it compelling. The Christian hedonism vs. Epicurean hedonism comparison is an interesting one: While Epicureans tried to manage simple pleasures to achieve their goal of happiness, Christian hedonism advocates enjoyment or happiness as a means to the end goal of life -glorifying God- rather than as an end in itself. The concept may seem bizarre at first but it makes perfect sense.

I see so many people wandering from hobby to hobby, relationship to relationship, city to city thinking that the next thing, or person, or place is going to fill that void in their life.. hoping that it will take away that sadness, that emptiness. What if we all just said, 'You know what, today I am going to just enjoy God!' I believe that we would not only find that our thirst for happiness was satisfied like never before, but that we would be fulfilling the true purpose of our lives -to Glorify the true living God. If you think earthly pleasures are going to make you happy you will find that they always fall short. For only God Himself will never disappoint, never fail to meet expectations, and never leave you feeling dissatisfied.

God wants us to be happy. It is not surprising that fulfilling our purpose in life is done by finding joy in Him. Praise the Lord for that! So being that we can all agree that happiness is a good thing I leave you with this advice:
in the words of Paul the Apostle,

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say Rejoice -Phillipians 4:4