All of us want to define the word “good” such that we get our way. But what happens when something that pleases me dictates that something unpleasant happens to you? Can we still call something good if it is not good for us both?
And how does that work with God? God says He is always working for the good of those who love Him. But we want comfort and peace and security and happiness – no pain, no struggle. God wants the advancement of His Kingdom. He wants His Name to be glorified.
“Men always view with suspicion people who are different. Conformity, not distinctiveness, is the way to a trouble-free life. So…simply by living according to the teachings of Jesus, the Christian is a constant unspoken condemnation of the secular lifestyle.” (Bruce Shelley, Church History In Plain Language)
If living to exalt Him might cause me to be condemned or criticized, then at times, my desire for comfort will be at odds with His desire for being exalted. So who gets to define the word “good”?
We find that exalting God can often cause difficulty in life – which is the opposite of my comfort and security. So how can these two goals that are at odds with each other – my comfort, security, and happiness vs. God’s glory – be determined that God is always working for my good?
Remember that God is not going to give us every one of our heart’s desires until every one of our hearts desires are exactly in line with His will.
If we truly can be like Paul and see that “to live is Christ and to die is gain” and “that God’s strength is perfected in our weakness,” then whatever God sends us we can say – God use this to advance Your goals and Your kingdom because I want the things that You want and I know that whatever You send me can be used to bring you more praise. Even physical illness or a handicap or a loss of material possessions or even loss of life – all of these can be used for the advancement of God’s kingdom and for bringing glory to Him. But will we trust Him that His plans are always the best plans? When His kingdom plans conflict with our plans for security and peace and happiness, will we continue to have faith in Him and be able to see that the increase of His kingdom, even if it causes suffering in us, is best for everyone and is therefore for our good as well?
“The man who really loves God can do as he chooses, for if he really loves God he will choose to do the will of God.” (Bruce Shelley, Church History In Plain Language)