Knowing That In ALL Things God Works For Your Good

I want to encourage you today that God is working for your good in ALL situations that you're facing, if you love Him and are called according to His purpose.  He really is FOR you, and even in those things that seem hardest, you can trust that He can work even in those things for your good.
I've been reading the book Pollyanna this week to my kids.  The book was written back in 1913 about an eleven year old girl whose contagious optimism transformed an entire town.  If you've ever heard someone described as a "pollyanna,” it's a term that came from this book.

But as I read the book this week again, I realized that for all her optimism, Pollyanna was in no way a naive little girl who was ignorant about the real pain that people face in life.  Her profound optimism wasn't the result of ignorance, it was the way she was able to keep sane and healthy in spite of severe losses she faced.  Born on the mission field, Pollyanna lost her mother when she was young, and lost her father when she was eleven.  She was sent to live with her severely stern and strict aunt on the East Coast, where she often had to fight back tears at the unfair treatment she received.

Yet with all the bad that was thrown at her, Pollyanna chose to train her mind to try to see the good in life, believing that there was always something she could be glad about.  It was something she learned from her father when she was on the mission field.  He called it the "glad game.”
In talking about the game to a woman named Nancy, Pollyanna said:
"We began it when some crutches came in a missionary barrel.  You see, I'd wanted a doll.  But when the barrel came the lady wrote that no dolls came in, just the little crutches.  So she sent 'em along.  The game was to find something about everything to be glad about, no matter what.  We began right then—on the crutches.”
Nancy said, "I can't see anythin' to be glad about--gettin' a pair of crutches when you wanted a doll.”
"There is— there is,” Pollyanna crowed.  "I couldn't see it either at first.  Father had to tell it to me.  You just be glad because you don't—need—'em!  You see, it's easy when you know how!  Only sometimes it's almost too hard, like when your father goes to Heaven” (from Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter).

Rather than being naive about life, it was Pollyanna's disappointments in life that helped her to see things in a whole new light.  She went on playing the "glad game” in her new town, helping the people see that no matter what they faced in life, there was always something to be glad about.  Without giving away too much of the story, Pollyanna even found a way to be thankful when she had to use crutches by the end of the book.

In a similar way, the Apostle Paul is known for saying some of the most optimistic things in his letters in the New Testament.  For instance, in his letter to the Philippians he wrote:  "Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again: Rejoice!”
Some people might think, "Sure, that's easy for Paul to say, as he was one of the most highly educated and influential people in the early church.”  But the truth is, Paul saw more suffering in his lifetime than most of us would ever see in ten or twelve lifetimes, if we were able to live that many.  Paul wrote:

"I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn? If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness” (2 Corinthians 23b-30).

Yet in spite of all this, Paul was still able to encourage people to "Rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS.”  In his letter to the Romans, Paul explained why we can rejoice always.  He wrote:
"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, emphasis added).

I have quoted this verse more often—to myself and to others—than perhaps any other verse in the Bible.  It's a statement that I've tested for myself and found to be true over and over again.  It's not just a "pollyanna” way of looking at the world.  It's a truth that God has given us to hold onto tightly, knowing that no matter how things look in the situations that we're facing, we can trust Him to work in those situations for our good, if we're willing to trust them to Him.
But like Pollyanna in the book, there are times when finding the good in a situation seems like a daunting task.  But rather than running away from such tasks, Pollyanna relished them.  At one point, a sick and bedridden woman challenged Pollyanna to find something in her situation that she could be glad about.  Pollyanna sprang to her feet and clapped her hands.  She said:
"Oh goody, that'll be a hard one—won't it?  I've got to go, now, but I'll think and think all the way home.  Goodbye, I've had a lovely time!”

And Pollyanna did think and think, coming up with several ideas, one of which was to encourage the woman to be glad she had her hands and arms.  That simple statement made the woman wonder why she didn't do something with her hands and arms, so she began to knit little things for fairs and hospitals.  She became so glad to think she could do something with them.
I think people sometimes view me as being a little too "pollyanna-ish,” too, when I tell them to trust God completely in every situation that He can work it for our good.  But I've found that sometimes when I tell people stories of God's faithfulness to me in my life, they often don't realize, or take seriously when I tell them, how desperate the situations I've prayed through have truly been.  They only hear the outcome of the stories, knowing that somehow God turned even awful situations into something good.

I think that's the way we sometimes read the stories in the Bible, too.  Since we already know how they end, we can sometimes gloss over how dramatic the turnarounds really were.
For instance, when Moses and the Israelites were up against the Red Sea, with no where to turn and the chariots from Egypt pressing in, all of a sudden, God opened up the Red Sea so they could pass through on dry ground.  It was a near-death experience for them all, yet God delivered them through it.  But since it only takes a few paragraphs to read through the whole story, we don't always get the sense of impending doom that the people must have felt.  I imagine Moses went through some serious questions for God about how God could possibly work this one out for good.  Yet God told Moses to stand firm, and he would indeed see God's deliverance...and he did (see Exodus, chapter 14).

Or when Daniel spent the night in the lion's den and came out alive the next day.  People may just think that Daniel found a safe place to hide or that the lion's just weren't that hungry.  But if you read the story closely, you'll see that as soon as Daniel was lifted out of the lion's den, those who had falsely accused Daniel were thrown into the den themselves, and the text says:  "before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.”  I imagine Daniel had some serious questions for God about how God could possibly work this one out for good.  Yet Daniel was extracted without even a wound on him (see Daniel, chapter 6).
When we hear stories of God's faithfulness to others, we tend to minimize the adversity they faced, and maximize God's faithfulness in bringing them through it.  Yet when we experience our own life-dramas, we tend to maximize the adversity we're facing, and minimize the possibility of God's ability of bringing us through it.

Today, I want to stir up your faith.  I want to help you see the truth that God is working for your good, if you love Him and are called according to His purpose.  I want to encourage you to keep putting your faith in Christ.  Regarding the situations you're facing in life today, ask yourself:
"What good might God be doing through this?  What good might come out of what I'm going through right now?  What might God be doing that I can hang onto in faith, and hope for, and pray towards?  What good might God be doing on my behalf right now?”
God wants to turn your thinking around today.  He wants you to see that He really can—and does—work all things for good for those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose.
This isn't just a "glad game” from a children's story.  This is a truth from God, recorded in His Word, in order to help you see your life the way He sees it, full of hope and promise and significance.

God loves you and really will work for your good in ALL things, if you love Him and have been called according to His purpose.

Healthy Parenting and Partnering

"But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever."¹

I read recently about a man who said, "I failed my son when he needed me most. I was under a great strain from a workload I seemed unable to escape. A gulf came between me and my son, and when I recognized it, it was too late. I have never been able to regain communication. I failed God as well as my son."

In our dreadfully materialistic culture in the Western world, far too many parents (who are on the obsessive merry-go-round of what the secular world calls success) try to buy off their kids with endless things, and/or get them involved in endless activities so they don't have to spend time with them.

In some of America's most affluent class, madness reigns. Super wealthy parents can give their kids "an 'Atherton Castle' [that] comes with a two-story, seven-foot-square 'fort,' and a ten-foot bridge that connects to another five-level fort with a 'crazy bar' climb—all for only $54,600. If that price seems steep, there's a 'pirate's haunt' for only $35,000."² There's far higher priced models too.

We, including our children, were created for relationships with each other—not with things. We all need to be bonded to people, without which we live together alone apart and consequently suffer from emotional malnutrition and die a little every day.

What kid needs any gift—be it large or small—without the loving emotional connection to his mom and dad? More than anything else our kids need our presence, to be with them, listen to them, be kind to them, care about them, help them, and communicate to them through word and deed that we truly love them. If a child doesn't feel loved, he/she is heading for major problems somewhere down the road—and it may be just around the corner.

And by the way, our spouses have exactly the same need. I have a friend from back home who, when her husband was climbing the ladder of success, used to say, "My husband gives me everything I want … except himself." Needless to say their marriage failed.

When we try to pay off our kids with things and our wives with expensive jewelry and the like, we wonder why our kids get into serious trouble and our spouses have emotional or physical breakdowns and/or get involved in an affair. I had another friend who, when going through chemotherapy, said, "I know why I have cancer. I'm dying of loneliness in my marriage."

YOUR PURPOSE AND VALUE

Why are we here? Is there a reason we are sitting here this morning, in the house of God? What would be our purpose as a Christian? We have touched upon it before, and I think all of us have wondered at one time or another just what our purpose is. I think the two most asked questions about our lives are:
(a) The question of reason - "Why am I here?" (b) The question of value - "Do I matter?"
Asking different people these questions will get you different answers.
·· Oprah Winfrey said, "You've got to figure it out by yourself." ·· The Materialist says, "Life is all about the acquisition of things." ·· Those who are into the self-help nonsense say, "Create your own purpose."
Carl Yung, the famous psychiatrist said, "I don't know the meaning of life or the purpose of life, but it looks as if something were meant by it." Not to sound unChristian-like, but can we say, "Duh?”
Joseph Taylor wrote a book entitled "I Have No Answers to the Meaning of Life - And I No Longer Want to Search for Any." That tells us two things about Mr. Taylor. One, he is honestly ignorant, and two, he doesn't care who knows it.
Sadly, there are many people who see no purpose at all in their lives. And, without any purpose to your life, you have no direction. Having no direction to our lives renders us absolutely useless.
An old farmer and his wife always went to the county fair. And, every year they saw the same pilot offering to take people up for a spin in his airplane for $10.00 a ride.
Every year, the old farmer asked his wife to give him $10.00 so he could go up. Every year, the wife responded by getting very mad at him and saying that ten dollars was ten dollars and they couldn't afford to be so frivolous with what little money they had.
He told her that he was now 80 years old and if he didn't go up this year, he never would. In a very angry voice, she repeated that ten dollars was ten dollars. At this point they got into an argument about it.
The pilot overheard them and offered to make them a deal. He would take them up for free - providing he didn't hear one word from either one of them during the entire trip. If either of them said anything at all, they would have to pay him the $10.00. They agreed.
The pilot put them in, took off and during the course of the next 15 minutes put that plane through every maneuver known to man, including flips, rolls, and nosedives. And he didn't so much as hear a sound from them.
When they landed, he congratulated the farmer on not making any noise, and asked him how come they never said anything during all the maneuvers. The farmer said, "Well, I was going to say something when my wife fell out, but like she always told me, 'Ten dollars is ten dollars!"
Let's talk about why you are here. The first thing we must realize is that God created us – that is why we are here. Now, for those who do not believe in God, there will never be an answer as to why they are here. For those who do believe in God, the answer to that question will be forthcoming.
First of all, ask yourself ….
1. WHY DID GOD PUT ME HERE?
We are not the first people to ask what our purpose is. That question was also asked in JEREMIAH 20:18.
"Why did I ever come out of the womb to see trouble and sorrow and to end my days in shame?”
God put you here for His purposes, not your purposes and for His pleasure, not your pleasure. When you understand that, you will start to see your life from a different perspective.
ISAIAH 49:5a, says it plainly: "And now the Lord says – He who formed me in the womb to be His servant.”
We are not here to enjoy ourselves, but to enjoy the Lord. We are not here to wander aimlessly through life, working for our own desires, but to work for the Lord for the desires He has for us.
We look ahead and see our own desires and conclusions. We do what we want to do and go where we want to go. We forget that we have a Master and that Master has a plan for us.
In EPHESIANS 1:4, we are told – "For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world, to be holy and blameless in His sight.”
There are three basic truths in our lives.
·· God loves us more than we know ·· God wants us to love Him with all our hearts ·· God wants us to love others in His name
When we start to realize just how very much our God loves us, we will start to realize a love for Him develop within our hearts. And the more we love Him, the more we will change to love those around us in ways we could not have done before.
God does not do love; God is love. It sometimes helps us to understand Him a little better if we exchange the word God with the word Love.
You were put here because God created you. You were put here because God created you. And God created you to worship and love Him; to walk in His will for you. That is why you were put here.
So now that you know WHY you are here, it is time to see if you know …
2. WHAT YOUR PURPOSE IN LIFE IS
You can walk down any street and ask a bunch of strangers if they think God loves them. Almost all of them will say, "Yes.” Everyone thinks God loves them. And you know what? They are right! God does love everybody. But the real question of purpose is whether we love God or not.
Do we love God enough to follow His commandments; to read His Word; to receive His Son? God's love for us will not get us into heaven; only our love for Him through His Son, Jesus, will get us to heaven. But it cannot just be an acknowledgement – it has to be a commitment from the heart.
It doesn't matter where you have been. It only matters where you are (in Christ) today, and where you want to go tomorrow (heaven).
We hear much talk today about a 'purpose driven life.' When we break that down, we see there are actually five great benefits to having purpose in our lives.
a) Purpose gives meaning to our lives b) Purpose simplifies our lives c) Purpose prepares us for eternity with God d) Purpose keeps us focused e) And purpose motivates us
By the way you live your life, would others see that you are a Christian? Would you say you are really in love with God? If I told you how to discover your purpose in life, would you want to know badly enough to do the things necessary to live your purpose?
You are here because God put you here, and your purpose in being here is to love Him and worship Him – constantly, and in all things.
Enough about purpose for a while. Let talk about …
3. THE VALUE OF YOUR LIFE
I started this message by telling you about the farmer and his wife who both knew the value of $10.00. We must always be aware of value. It is said that when a man of money meets a man of experience, the man with experience ends up with the money and the man of money ends up with the experience. One knows the value of money, and now, the other knows the value of experience.
When we look at God's generosity, we also see the depth of how much He really loves us, as is demonstrated by His extreme generosity.
JOHN 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world He gave His One and only Son, so that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."
If all you think about is the fact that you are unworthy or that you do not deserve God, it will lead you to feelings of self-condemnation and alienation from Christ. These feelings are from the enemy, and they are all meant for one thing; to steal your joy and get you unfocused.
Let me give you some truth right now. There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ. Let me tell you once again that it does not matter what you were before Christ, the only thing that matters is the great value God places on you, after you come to Christ.
For some, I pray this will be very liberating. Something you have waited all your life to hear. I pray that God uses this message to finally free you from the doubts you have had about your worth; your value; and even your salvation.
Let's quickly look at a couple of things that determine value and see how we stack up in a biblical standard.
MANUFACTURING COSTS
How much something costs to make is a very critical element in determining the item's final value, isn't it?
In GENESIS 1:26 we do not see any hesitancy in our creation, even though God knew what lie ahead for His Son.
He knew how much it was going to cost Him, and He went ahead with the project anyway. Why? Because in His eyes, we were worth it. The cost of creating and redeeming you and me was outweighed by the value He placed on us.
Another thing that determines our value is –
THE PURCHASE PRICE
You would be surprised at how much some people are willing to pay for certain things. A couple of years ago, I heard where some rock and roll band, whom I have never heard of before, is selling tickets for their last performance in America. They said the money would go to help the victims of Katrina.
The owner of the club they will be playing in said that he has four special spectator boxes similar to the press boxes at a baseball game. He said all four of them have already been rented at $20,000. per box! I love music, but I have never heard a performer who was worth that kind of money.
Some people pay thousands of dollars for beanie babies or Barbie dolls. I wouldn't, because they aren't worth anything to me. My point is the more something means to you, the more you will be willing to pay for it.
Think of the most valuable thing in your earthly life. Go ahead make it a hum-dinger. Is it some property you own, or a house you have, or maybe a place you go to? Now, let me ask you this question: As valuable as it is to you, would you pay for it with the life of one of your children? Absolutely not! There is nothing on this earth worth that is there? Or, is there?
Evidently, God thought there was. He thought we were worth enough to redeem us with the life of His only Son. You are worth the life of Jesus. That is how much God thinks you are worth. .
In 1 PETER 1:18-19, we read – "For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.”
When we consider that Jesus Christ took the world's sins upon Himself as He hung from that cross, we can start to see just how much He thought we were worth. And that has never changed!
Another thing that determines how much we are worth is –
THE MAINTENANCE COST
If we want to purchase something, but we first find out that whatever it is will end up demanding most of our time or money, we probably would not buy it.
Let me ask you a question: Are you a high-maintenance Christian? In other words, do you need a lot of attention in order to remain faithful? Do you require constant encouragement and constant support from others in order to keep strong in Christ?
Well, I have some very good news for you! Even if you are a high-maintenance Christian who needs lots of special attention, God still thinks you are worth everything He did for you! He sees your significance and He knows your value – even if you don't.
Just like the grade school teacher who noticed a little girl in her class straining to read the blackboard. She knew the little girl's family was poor, so she took it upon herself to have the girl's eyes examined. Sure enough, she needed glasses and the teacher paid for them. The next week the teacher gave her the new glasses.
The girl said she could not take them, as she was poor and could not pay for them. The teacher gave them to her anyway, and said, "You don't have to pay for them, I already did.”
That is what God did for us. We are worth so much to Him that He paid the price so we do not have to. It is very hard for us to understand this, but to God, we are just as worthy as someone like Billy Graham or the Apostle Paul.
In closing, let me remind you that when someone is very dear to you, you will always speak of that person in loving terms.
In DEUTERONOMY 32:10, we hear how God talks about us. "In a desert land, He found him, in a barren and howling waste. He shielded Him and cared for Him; He guarded Him as the apple of His eye.”
Even though this verse applies to Israel in the Old Testament, it is just as applicable to the church in the New Testament, and to each one of us today.
It always seems much easier for Christians to tell someone else that God loves them, than to say it to themselves. But look at what all God has done to show you how much you mean to Him. For the truth of the matter is you are more valuable to our Father than you will ever understand.
And let me say again, that your singular most important purpose in life is to do as commanded in:
MATTHEW 22:37 '... Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.'