Anchored in Goodness

You may have heard it before: life is hard; God is good. This statement is far more than a cliché: it’s a strong and solid theological truth. Some incredibly smart people have wrestled with such questions as, “if God is good, then why does this happen? Why is injustice allowed, and why can life be so hard?” Those really smart people concluded that life is hard AND God is good. One doesn’t cancel out the other. They call it “theodicy.”

Most people assume that because life is hard, God must not be good—but that’s not the case. It’s not an either/or scenario. A few years ago, I decided that even when I couldn’t answer the “why?” part of that statement (“If God is good, then why ____?”), I decided that I would eliminate the “if.” In other words, I choose to believe that God is good . . . no matter what.

You can anchor yourself in God’s goodness too.

Start watching for the goodness of God despite the circumstances. Maybe the door gets closed on one opportunity, but maybe God has something better in store that we have to walk through a different door in order to access it. This has happened so many times in my own life that now I expect it. When something doesn’t go my way, I remind myself of God’s track record and I start watching for the next opportunity that will uncover God’s ultimate plan through the process.

Being anchored in the goodness of God isn’t always going to be a rational thing. It’s a stubborn, unrelenting determination not to let the hardships of life downsize the bigness of God.

Think about it: What are ways you can remind yourself to watch for God’s goodness despite the circumstances?

PRAY: God, thank you for helping me get anchored in your goodness. Give me strength today to stop wondering and start watching for your favor in every situation. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.