UNTIL WE GET THERE
Romans
8:28
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.
When believers suffer for
Christ, they are not getting a taste of their future. We are not on a road that
leads to destruction, but on one that leads to dignity. The hardships along our
way are means by which God brings us to glory.
Think of it this way. God
calls us to troubles as surgeons invite us to their operating tables. Their
knives inflict terrible pain. No sane person enjoys the ordeal of surgery. To
deny the anguish is to lie. Nonetheless, we voluntarily submit to the knife.
Why? We allow them to cut because the pain will bring about better health in
the future.
Paul tells us here that the
same thing is true of God. He tells us to submit to the knife of suffering for
Christ for the good it will bring to us. God is working all of our troubles
into something wonderful for us. We can submit to his call because he promises
to work the pain for our good.
This perspective on the plan
of God causes us to breathe a sigh of relief. We can all remember times when we
have seen God bring good out of bad.
Designed For Dignity. By Richard L. Pratt, Jr., pgs. 192-193.
