Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.."

“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 This popular verse of Scripture is full of opportunities for us to miss entirely what Paul was trying to say about God’s will. For many, the problem begins when we define “the good” by our own standards. My hopes, my dreams, my happiness; all of these must be “good” right? Unfortunately, the answer to that is no. Often times, the hopes and dreams that I have for my life would NOT lead to my own good if they came true. A more common mistake is to see this verse as being about ME, when in fact it’s actually about US. God works for the good (his definition, not ours) of his people, not just me. The verse concludes by talking about “his purpose” and Paul goes on in 8:29-30 to explain that the purpose God has in mind for each one of us is to conform us to the image of his son. In other words, God is going to make all Christians Christ-like; that’s his plan, that’s his purpose; that, is what God defines as “good” for you. Now, becoming more Christ-like just might interfere with those hopes and dreams that I’ve been counting on, in fact, they may be the opposite of what is necessary for me to become more Christ-like; and when you combine that possibility with the idea that God isn’t just concerned with me, his focus includes all Christians (including those not yet born or not yet believing); is it any wonder that God’s plan for us all doesn’t always match up with my plan for me? It may be necessary for us to miss out on something we’ve been desperate to get, or to lose something we can’t imagine parting with precisely because it will further the process of making us Christ-like OR it will further the process of making one (or more) of our fellow Christians more Christ-like. We may never understand that choices God makes as he works to mold and sculpt us during our lives, and we may never see the influence we have on the lives of others; it is for this reason that we must accept and believe by FAITH that God is indeed working “all things…for the good of those who love him”. Would you want your future in the hands of anyone less loving or less knowledgeable; including your own? It is for our benefit and for our future that God’s will is in control.