In Romans 8:29 it say, “From the very beginning God decided that those who came to him—and all along he knew who would—should become like his Son.” (TLB)
God’s goal has always been to make me like himself. He wants me to become like his Son. In other words, he wants me to grow up spiritually.
The Bible says, “From the very beginning God decided that those who came to him—and all along he knew who would—should become like his Son” (Romans 8:29 TLB).
We often ask: “Why is this happening to me?” It’s to help us grow.
In fact, everything in life can help me grow up spiritually, the good, the bad, the ugly, the things I bring on myself, and the things that other people do to me. God is not the author of evil. But God can bring good out of bad things.
Every situation in life will either make me bitter or make me better. It’s my choice how I choose to respond. Instead of asking, “God, why is this happening to me?” ask, “God, what do you want me to learn from this?”
Every problem has a purpose: to help me grow up spiritually and be more like Jesus Christ.
So, if one of the purposes of my life is to grow up spiritually and to become like Jesus, what is Jesus like? Just look at the fruit of the Spirit. The Bible says, “He will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23 TLB). These are the qualities God wants to develop in me.
How does God produce those qualities and help me grow up spiritually? He teaches me these qualities by putting me in the exact opposite situations.
He teaches me love by putting me around unlovely people. He teaches me joy in the middle of grief. God teaches me peace when you’re surrounded by chaos. He teaches me patience when it seems like the line I’m standing in goes on forever.
God will teach me these qualities throughout my life, and the process will take the rest of my life. But I can trust that, whatever I face today, he will use it to help me develop spiritual depth and become more like Christ.
In summary, from the very beginning God decided that those who came to him, and all along he knew who would, should become like his Son.” God’s goal has always been to make me like himself. He wants me to become like his Son and to grow up spiritually. We often ask: “Why is this happening to me?” It’s to help us grow. Everything in life can help me grow up spiritually. But God can bring good out of bad things. Every situation in life will either make me bitter or make me better. It’s my choice how I choose to respond. Instead of asking, “God, why is this happening?” ask, “God, what do you want me to learn from this?” Every problem has a purpose: to help me grow up spiritually and be more like Jesus Christ. What is Jesus like? Just look at the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. These are the qualities God wants to develop in me. How does God produce those qualities? By putting me in the exact opposite situations. He teaches me love by putting me around unlovely people, joy in the middle of grief, peace when I’m surrounded by chaos, patience when it seems like the line I’m standing in goes on forever. I can trust that, whatever I face today, he will use it to help me develop spiritual depth and become more like Christ.
God's ultimate goal for me is to make me like Christ. As I become more and more like him, I discover my true self, the person I was created to be. I become like Christ, by reading and heeding the Word, by studying his life on earth through the gospels, by spending time in prayer, by being filled with his Spirit, and by doing his work in the world. God's purpose for me was not an afterthought; it was settled before the foundation of the world. I am to serve and honor God. If I believe in Christ, I can rejoice in the fact that Go has always known me. God's love is eternal. His Wisdom and power are supreme. He will guide and protect me until I stand one day in his presence.
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