Our Definition of "Good" vs. God's

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In his closing to the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus talked about two men who built homes. One built his home on the shifting sand, and the other built his home on the stable rock. Then the storms came, the winds blew, the rain fell, and the house built on the sand collapsed and fell. Meanwhile, the house built on the rock stood firm.

In this story we see some important truths: we all will have storms in life. The rain will fall on the just and the unjust (see Matthew 5:45). Good things will happen. Bad things will happen. Inexplicable things will happen. And we had better decide now what foundation we are built on, because every life will have its share of pain.

God’s Power to Bring Good From Bad

We can’t live a trouble-free life. We can’t take a vacation from human suffering and tragedy. Maybe that is why former British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli summed up life in this pessimistic way: “Youth is a mistake; manhood a struggle; old age a regret.”

Allow me to offer another possibility: There is a God who, despite the worst tragedy, can bring good out of bad. That is what I believe, and that is what the Bible teaches. This is not to say that God will make what is bad good, because bad is bad. But it is to say that good can come out of bad.

The Bible says, “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 NLT). Or, a better translation would be, “He is causing all things to work and to continue to work together for good.”

This is a process, you see. You might look at your life and at a tragedy that has befallen you and be unable to see any good right now. But a while later, you might see a little good. And it may not be until you reach eternity that you see the big picture and the complete good. But until that day, God promises that he can bring good out of bad.

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Originally published at WND.com


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