Believing in God’s Good When You’re Walking Through the Bad
Just a few months after I’d turned my manuscript in to my editor for How Can I Possibly Forgive, I found myself in the middle of a tough situation. It was a hurtful situation where the circumstances went beyond just a simple mistake. I had nothing to do with the decisions or the outcome, but I was still impacted by the actions of someone else.
I realized I was facing a choice: I could forgive, or not forgive.
Immediately, God brought the scripture to mind that I’ve declared as the verse for my life: “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28).
It was hard to understand why something so unfair had occurred, but as I thought about those words in Romans, I noticed that instead of immediately thinking about the wrong that had happened – what I could have taken as very personal in those moments – God helped me see through different eyes.
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God helped me see through different eyes.
Tweet ThisI realized I was thinking more about the sin that had happened against God than this being about me, and in that moment, I saw this situation was a whole lot more about this other person and their relationship with the Lord.
Choosing to Forgive
So I made the choice. I forgave what had been done, I trusted that out of something bad, God could in fact do something good, and through that process, I ultimately got to see someone close to me enter into a new relationship with God.
I’ve thought about that moment a lot, and I don’t share it with you to say, “Wow, look at me and how I was able to forgive.” Because I know it wasn’t me. If it had been me, I probably would not have forgiven. I might have ended that relationship, that friendship, immediately. But God was doing a work in my heart way before that opportunity for forgiveness ever happened and right when I (and probably that other person) needed it, the Holy Spirit was there, guiding my heart.
Over and over God showed me how many times He’s forgiven me. He’d consistently reinforced to me that He was my foundation, and the one I lean on for strength. So when news came that could have knocked me down, I didn’t completely lose my footing because I wasn’t standing on shaky ground – the ground I was standing on was rock hard because long before that difficult news, I’d realized God was my foundation – and no one and nothing else could match what He brought me.
Because He forgave me, I could forgive this person. Because I’d spent time studying His Word, I knew God was bigger than the big mess in front of me. Because of God’s love for me, I knew I could still continue to show love towards this person, even in the midst of the wrong that had been done.
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I trusted that out of something bad, God could in fact do something good.
Tweet ThisSituations that come up requiring forgiveness aren’t always easy, simple or pain-free. But you can walk through them with less difficulty when you’re already walking with God.
How’s your relationship with Him today? Does He feel close to you? Or far away? Are you reading His Word daily? Or do you only pick it up in times of desperate need? The latter is okay to do, better to do it then, than never at all – but you’ll react much better in times of crisis if you’re connecting with Him consistently.
The more you do, the more you’ll see His good. And the more you see His good, the easier you’ll believe that His good will prevail.
Even when you’re walking through the bad.
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