“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” — 1 Peter 5:7 (NLT)
I know God cares for me and I know God cares for you. How do I know this? Well, it’s not because of what you or I have been through. It’s not even what we have done. Rather, it’s because of what God has done for us. I think, perhaps, we tend to look at the bad before the good (as we examine our lives). A change of perspective is necessary.
God’s care for us can seem dimmed through the lens of personal troubles. Coupled with that, if we consider our entire world’s struggles, we can easily lose sight of His care for us at all. Throw in the hard things seen in history and the age-old questions often arise, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” or “Why do bad things happen at all?”
Recently, my wife and I watched the Avengers “Infinity War” movie. The ending left me troubled because it appeared that evil had triumphed. Certainly, I know it’s not real. However, I still got a pit in my stomach when I watched it. If I’m honest, much of what I see around me, and read about, gives me the same feeling of despair. Sickness, sin and death are hard to watch. Even while reading in the Old and New Testament, some of the stories appear dark. Consequently, it can be hard to see good in what God’s doing.
Focusing on the good first is helpful for me. The bad doesn’t go away, mind you, but it helps me gain a different perspective. And the best place for me to find that perspective is in the Bible.
God is Good
“Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! And evening passed and morning came, marking the sixth day.” — Genesis 1:31
A fundamental and timeless truth for me is that God is good. A fun song quote some of my friends and I like to say is, “God is good all the time and all the time God is good.” When I look to God through this lens, I see Him clearly. The absolute goodness of God is only seen in its entirety through the eyes of God. I’m not sure if we could handle seeing it for ourselves just yet. We certainly get to see glimpses of God’s goodness in this life, don’t we? For example, when encountering nature, witnessing birth, experiencing the human senses and maybe especially when we love and are loved by others.
His Goodness to Us
One way God explicitly reveals His goodness and love for us is by creating us. A good Father cares about what He creates. He died for us so we could be with Him forever. Our God conquered the evils of sickness, sin and death by dying on a cross. He then rose from the dead because He cares for us.
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” — Romans 5:8 (NIV)
“I will be glad and rejoice in your unfailing love, for you have seen my troubles, and you care about the anguish of my soul.” — Psalms 31:7 (NLT)
Let me say it again. I know God cares for me and I know God cares for you.
Posted in A Word from the Pastor