What’s your first thought when things don’t go your way? Is it disbelief? Maybe it’s anger? Is it resignation to the situation? The reason I ask that question of you is because I ask myself the same question. I came upon a familiar passage that gives me insight and comfort in the midst of a difficult or perplexing situation. It’s Romans 8:28-29. If you are a regular in “church world,” you know this passage. In fact, you may have memorized it. “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;”
It seems to me that those verses are about one of the basic truths that every Christ follower needs to understand: “What is God’s purpose for my life, particularly in my current situation?” When you understand what God’s purpose for your life is, then you’re going to understand why He allows uncomfortable changes or difficult circumstances in your life. It requires that I look at my life through the lens of a biblical worldview and not a secular worldview. It’s the attitude that says, “I don’t understand everything fully, but somehow and in some way, GOD’S GOT THIS. And he’s going to use it to make me or conform me in the image of Jesus Christ. If we’re honest with ourselves, we know this intuitively. The passage begins with “And we know.” That’s the Greek word for “experiential” knowledge. We don’t hope, wish, want, desire, or guess. We know.