Nougat 31

It’s always about perspective. But did you recognize that it’s our perspective of God’s will that helps us praise in the rough patches. Once again, consider today’s Holy Nougat

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭28‬-‭29‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Mirroring Christ

So obviously we’ve got to see all things from the ‘Christ lens’ if we expect to see God’s good in every circumstance. This in turn demands that we become more proactively Christ-like than reactively self/ish. Yaaaaas, the Nougat I read says God knows us and allows some circumstances to shape us in Christ’s likeness! And, in so doing, Jesus is the firstborn among us.

Now that last bit is a bit sketchy … wasn’t Jesus already the firstborn? Always. But if a child is an only child s/he is not usually referred to as the ‘Firstborn’. This thus underscores the idea that 1) Jesus was never intended to be God’s only child; thus 2) we, ‘the called’, were always part of God’s master plan. How about that for perspective?

Nothing catches God by surprise. Nothing. Not The Fall of humans in the Garden, nor Christ’s birth and death and ascension, nor our past, present or future. And the called are this the other children to be included in the complement of God’s children. This which we face/d is part of God’s bigger plan for our future. It’s thus somewhat futile to ask, ‘why me?’. For, as God told a friend of mine in the midst of a rough patch, ‘why not you?’. Though hard to swallow, God’s already determined that we will overcome, we will continue to thrive without being swell-headed, that we can truly walk in our Big Brother’s steps. Maybe – okay, definitely – not perfectly, but enough that we will remain heirs in Christ.

Yes, if we accept God as Sovereign, we also have to decide whether God’s sovereignty includes omniscience. For me it does. And since I am not God, I still don’t know some things. But I rest in the assurance that God knows. And armed with the hope of being among God’s Called, I know that all things, yes all things, are working for our good, so I become more like the image of God’s Firstborn.

What do you think?

—

May all we seek be found in Christ