And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
— Romans 8:28–30
Did you know that most people fail to reach their goals because they don’t clearly understand what the end will look like? A person will start out with a clear vision, like, “I want to lose 20 lbs.” And they are excited about that for about three days, and then something happens. They stop thinking about the end goal and start thinking about the effort. It’s no longer, “I am going to feel amazing when I lose 20 lbs.” It’s, “Oh man, I have to order a black coffee today at Bible study instead of the Frapucciono and cheese danish I normally get.” Or the worst one might be, “I have to wake up an hour early to work out when all I want to do is sleep.”
When you start thinking about the effort instead of the end result, you set yourself up for failure. The key to not giving up or giving in is remembering what you are working for and believing it will be worth it.
This is true in life too. Sometimes we may feel discouraged, and it’s easy to lose faith or give up. But as believers, we must trust in God’s sovereignty and believe He will work everything out for our good. We always think about the struggle, don’t we? We never seem to remember that at the end of the struggle, we will be better, stronger, wiser, more appreciative, more joyful, more faithful, and more Christlike. If all we see is the struggle and fail to remember the good that will come at the end, we are doomed.
It’s important to remember that our walk with God is a process, not a destination, and we will continue to grow and learn as we go. We may not understand the whys of our current situations, but we can trust that God is molding and shaping us to be more like His son.
No matter how difficult the journey may be, we must keep faith and trust in God’s plan for our lives. He is always working for our good, and if we remember that, we won’t give up, lose heart, grow weary, or lose faith.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, we thank you for the reminder in Romans 8:28–30 that you are always working for our good. Help us trust in your sovereignty and faith that you will work everything out for our good. Give us the resilience to persevere, even in the toughest times. Remind us that our walk with you is a process, not a destination, and that you are constantly molding and shaping us to be more like your son. Help us not to give up, lose heart, grow weary, or lose faith. In Jesus’s name, amen.