All Things

From: Ambassadors For Christ International - John North

Romans 8:28 "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good for those who love God and who are called according to His purpose."

God is using every circumstance in your life to shape you and use you for His purpose! It can be hard for us to accept this idea of God using "all things" in this way. We know that God uses His word to renew our minds and transform us. We can accept that God uses our fellowship with other believers in this way, and that His blessings in our lives assure us of His loving care for us. But "all things"? Yes!

It does not mean that God is pleased with all things. God grieves when bad things happen to you or your loved ones. He knows from His own experience on the cross how physical and emotional pain can make you feel, and He groans with you.

But God sits on His throne above all these things, and He overrules even the most evil purpose and uses even those fallen, evil or senseless things to accomplish His good purpose in your life. That means that you can embrace any circumstance you find yourself in (good or bad) as God’s opportunity for you to grow and to minister in His name to others.