It's All Working Out For Me - Even This
A few years ago, I was listening to a podcast where the speaker was repeating the mantra “everything is always working out for me,” over and over.
At the time, I didn’t think everything was working out for me at all, and I was concerned this woman and her mantra were too far on the woo side of things for me to adopt them.
Then I remembered this:
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28
It’s the same mantra, the same truth but this time it came from the Apostle Paul, so I began practicing it as my own mantra and it wasn’t long before I realized I needed to add something.
The “even this” part.
Because there are really hard things going on in the world and in our lives, and it can sound like I’m minimizing them or pulling some “Good Vibes Only” stunt.
Nope.
Jesus said in this world you will have trouble, but the word in Greek was actually “pressure.” The biggest problem some of us have is we believe we can’t be joyful until our circumstances improve or there is no pressure. So we walk around focused on the hard and the heavy, waiting for relief, which predictably makes things worse.
But the second part of what Jesus said is important: “Cheer up, I’ve overcome the world.”
Here’s the encouragement:
There are a million examples of people being joyful in struggle, inspiring others while battling cancer, carrying their disabled kids through triathlons, or surviving a Nazi prison camp and going on to write the most important book on suffering in the 20th century.
That’s where the “even this” comes in.
God I don’t know HOW this is all working out for me, but you promised it would, so I choose to believe you - even though it is super hard. I will stay constant in prayer and be patient in suffering AND, I will not add to my suffering by doubt and complaint.
This is what choosing looks like. It’s based on gratitude and faith.
So if trouble and pressure are features of this life, how do you deal with yours?
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