In all things God works for the good of those who love him.

Everything happens for a reason.

One of these phrases is scripture - a truth longing to be mined and polished so it will shine. The other phrase is more common, possibly more believable and more believed, and yet always leaves me very empty. Why, because it's simply not true!

Seriously, does it satisfy you at all when someone tells you that 'everything happens for a reason'? Does it fill the gaping hole in your mind? your heart? your gut?

Why do we believe it? And why don't we believe the first phrase, the scripture, the truth?

Why do we settle for a false superficial answer and dare not wrestle with the profound Word of God?

This past weekend I had a brief conversation with a lifelong faithful Christian who completely blurred these two phrases. It was sad to see the confusion. It was sad to think of the years and decades of poor teaching and/or understanding. Mostly, it was sad to witness the tainted view of God it had caused, and therefore the missed opportunity for a deeper relationship with the lover of her soul.

Do you understand the difference in these seemingly similar yet polar opposite phrases? Can you articulate the difference to a struggling friend? Give it a shot. Here's a good place to practice.

[ a few helps: 1. ask God for revelation, 2. study the context by looking at the whole Romans 8 chapter, and 3. after 1 & 2, if you want you can listen to my sermon on this topic http://wellspring.net/?q=node/309. Note, the recording begins with a skit]