good |ɡo͝od| adjective (better |ˈbetər| , best |best| ) 1 to be desired or approved of: God worked everything for her good.
As I have walked along this journey of faith, I have started to view and experience the high, high mountaintop moments and the low, low valley moments exactly the same. I’ve come to realize that God is with me in both places—and that somehow, He uses both the good and the seemly bad, for my good.
I have even learned to anticipate blessing when everything starts to fall apart around me because in the past, the enemy has always attacked what God is preparing to bless! Now, attacks only prompt me to pray harder and remind me to claim victory in Christ before I see anything change!
Every day, we have opportunities to see God at work in our lives. We have the choice to believe the truth of His word over our present circumstances. God promises to work everything (the good, the bad and the ugly) for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. It is our job to have the faith to believe that He can, and will, use everything in our lives for His glory!
“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.” Romans 8:28
Every life experience or circumstance (even the really, really hard stuff) has somehow ended up working for my good. In the beginning stages of my relationship with God, it was hard to look at unfortunate events and wonder how God could ever use them for my good. But somehow, He began to use every circumstance I faced (especially the really, really hard ones) to draw me closer to Himself. These moments, with Him, began to push me forward, to move me closer to my purpose and closer to the plan He has specifically for me.
It is so easy to allow the bad things that happen to us to lead us into regret and resentment. But when we ask God to reveal His plan through every trial and disappointment we face, He will allow us to see our situation very differently and change our overall perspective.
My outlook on the future is no longer defined by the things that have happened to me. We need to begin to realize that the things that happen “to you” are not actually about you—but rather, they are about what God is wanting to do through you! He may be using negative circumstances to shake you out of your comfort zone and into the calling and destiny He has for your life!
“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy! For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” James 1:2-4
It is how we react to the disappointments we experience that reveals the maturity of our faith. Our response to negativity exposes where we are spiritually at that moment in time. When I choose to see my story through my own limited point of view, fear will always win. But when I choose to see momentary trials from God’s perspective, He will grant us the peace and provision we need to move forward. God’s point of view is always viewed from the inside out because that’s where the spirit of God lives—inside of us!
“But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won the victory because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.” 1 John 4:4
No matter what comes against us, I KNOW God is greater. There will be things that we will go through that we won’t like. Things that will hurt us—a lot. But these things (things we would never choose to walk through ourselves) will teach us things we need to know, and mold us into who we need to become to fulfill all that God has prepared for us!
Allow the struggles, the pain and the disappointments of life to make you stronger, more resilient and more expectant of God’s promises for you! Everything we go through is proof of the power and the unlimited potential we possess because of our ever present and powerful God.
If God takes you through a valley, know that there is purpose in the process. Allow Him to refine you along the journey and choose to have hope in your Great God every step of the way.
Standing with you in prayer and belief—always.
XO-
Sabrina