God's Definition of Good — Damian Grateley

All scripture is God-breathed and useful, but each of us has certain scriptures that have most influenced our lives. What passage of scripture has proved most significant for you? What has made these words so relevant to your life? What did it say about God that you most needed to know and hear? For me, it has been Paul's words in Romans, chapter 8.

‘[28] And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. [29] For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. [30] And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified’ - Romans 8:28-30

In recent years I have returned again and again to these words. I was one of those ‘enthusiastic Christians’ that Dan McCartney refers to. The kind of person who passionately wanted to see every sickness and sin defeated in this life, but who failed to see God’s sovereignty in his own suffering. When I lost control of my environment, or something interrupted even the godliest of plans, it was easier to blame myself or the devil. This left me either fighting external forces or burdened with an internal sense of failure.

These verses remind me that God’s definition of ‘good’ is much higher and greater than my own. We are not talking about some general wellbeing or personal comfort. There is a plan which stretches over a lifetime and results in all that God predestined for my life. Even that which is intended to harm me becomes part of God’s intended good (Genesis 50:20). My life is no longer a series of abstract events, but part of a greater plan – ‘to be conformed to the image of his Son.’ Trials and failures are no longer roadblocks, but stepping stones towards my own transformation.

Where once my feeble hands were left alone to balance each compartment of my life, I now see the Spirit interceding in accordance with the will of God (Romans 8:27). Beyond my failed plans is a greater plan which is being painted on a bigger canvas and over a lifetime. He is the conformer, the justifier, and the perfector of my faith. I can drop a compartment of my life, or fail at something, and God’s good purposes remain. This means that when I want everything to be perfect, or I want to quit a situation in order to avoid failure, I can now find rest.

I can think of many occasions when I have become good at something, only to move on. I persevered through the back door and entered professional theatre, only to quit a few years later. Without knowing it I was avoiding failure. I only knew how to live on the up slope, and I did everything I could to avoid the down slope. Whilst I was trusting God to get me up the mountain, I was faithless when it came to his ability to work through the wind and rain.

Knowing God is conforming me releases me to focus on Him, rather than on what I achieve for him. The instant defeat of every obstacle is no longer on my agenda. God is making me loving, true, wise, strong, good, joyful and kind – as Jesus is. And if He is using suffering, failure or opposition to do so, then so be it. I am released from obtaining perfection in the things I create, because God is perfecting me through the mess. How freeing it is for us to know that we can trust God in the mess, knowing that he is at work accomplishing his redemptive purposes. How comforting it is for us to know that we can trust God's Word, knowing that it reveals things to us about God that we most need to know and hear.

Footnote: Dan G. McCartney, 1998, Why Does It Have To Hurt, p.30

Featured

The Enmeshment Trap: Unraveling Work from Identity

During a recent conversation, I was asked what celebration looks like in my life. I referred to an already established rhythm, where I look back at the end of each day and write down specific things to celebrate. Feeling pleased with myself, I recalled items from the previous evening’s list. As I read aloud, it became clear that each celebration corresponded to a met goal at work. I am blessed with a loving family and long-standing friendships, so why wouldn’t my celebration reflect other aspects of my life?

When the Angel of the Lord becomes the Home Help

As a pastor, I have been led to think about the prophet Elijah in recent weeks – exhausted after his confrontation with the prophets of Baal. Running for his life, he sits and asks God to take his life away. Sounds like #fatigue and disappointment to me (1 Kings 19:4). But the angel of the Lord comes – the one who speaks both for God and as God. I am particularly comforted by the way he comes:

THE LONELY JOURNEY OF WOMEN IN MINISTRY

When my husband, Damian, and I entered into church planting, we were too excited to consider any negative emotions or possible hardship. We were the kind of people who wanted to see every sickness and sin defeated but failed to see and trust God’s bigger story in the midst of suffering. With less than 1% of the Japanese population declaring themselves to be Christian, we praised God for each conversion and loved watching God move in people’s hearts. Unsupported by an organization, we established various businesses as a way of providing for our staff and ourselves. Each month we witnessed hundreds of unbelievers passing through our building and socializing with members of our small Christian community. We presumed our plan was working well until the day our business partner quit, taking with him a large number of clients and a portion of our income.

Gospel Truth and the Everyday Stuff of Life

Many believers speak catchphrases without knowing how the gospel applies to the everyday stuff of life. They have been given the truths of Jesus as the answer for going to heaven, but have little knowledge of how Jesus gives a better answer for what they do in this life. God wants us to be able to translate the world around us and the world inside of us through the lens of the gospel.

God's Definition of Good

Looking Ahead

Life can sometimes feel like you’re living in the middle of a novel. In the middle of the story you don’t really understand the plot, the characters’ motivations, or how the story will end. Only in the final chapter do all the details make sense. I have a friend who reads the last chapter of a book first. Once she knows the ending she can sit back, relax, and enjoy the book no matter how crazy the plot becomes. God invites us to read the final chapter of the bible, so we can see how it all works out in the end.

Sharing In His Glory

We are naturally ‘glory-empty’ people. We might not call it glory, but we have a hole in our heart that we are desperately trying to fill with significance, honour, importance, and self-worth. We shine a spotlight on our achievements; ‘Look at what I’ve done.’ We look at the number of friends we have on Facebook and say to ourselves ‘Look how liked I am’. This works fine as long as we are popular and part of the crowd. But what happens when our popularity is threatened?

Define Your Relationships

It is healthy for churches to define their roles, mission and expectations. Churches should not be afraid to bridge preventable gaps by clearly communicating their expectations of one another. By doing this it will go some way towards easing disappointment and equipping both pastors and congregations to run the race together. But we must avoid situations where we rest more on our own accomplishments, than on the accomplishments of Jesus Christ.