Are all things for the best?

As some of you know, my wife and I had a match for our adoption last month that fell through. It was a short match, and we didn't even see the baby, but it was still very challenging.

In the midst of dealing with it many people, including Laci and me, would say something along the lines of, "Well, it must be for the best. God has other plans." When I said, "It has to be for the best," a friend of mine challenged me on that, asking if it really was for the best.

Through virtually all the disappointments in my life, I can say that in hindsight, they usually have been for the best, with something more positive resulting from the closed door. Plus, I always remember Romans 8:28: "We know that God works all things together for good for the ones who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose" (CEB).

I realized I was living by an assumption that everything occurred according to God's will. Calvinists, like John Piper, would argue that every little thing is determined by God. I reject his level of determinism. The Bible (and a lot of life) actually discuss many situations where people do not live in accordance with God's will. If we did, there would not be any need for salvation, which is obviously central to the biblical story.

When I thought about Romans 8:28 again, it has not promise that all things are according to God's will. It is simply that despite what happens, God will work good for those who love God. Life is full of problems, and those problems are not necessarily ordained by God nor for the best. Yet God can work beauty through them.

I don't know right now if the status of this match was in accordance with God's will or the best. I will probably never know more details about that baby, but I pray the best for that whole family with no ill will. In some ways, it is actually validating to know that not everything is necessarily for the best. If it is for the best, it can feel bad to grieve, yet grief is important.

I don't know why my aunt died of breast cancer at a young age several years ago. I can't imagine saying it was for the best. But I can say God worked a lot of good through her struggle in my life (I would have rather not had to deal with that pain).

So what do you think? Are all things for the best?

Friday Round-Up: Women in Ministry, The Role of Sin, Doubt, and Art

Here's some great articles I've read recently:


Men Changing Views on Women (in Ministry): A nice article about the movement of men from a complementarian perspective to an egalitarian theology, where women are allowed and encouraged to be in leadership.


No, It's Not God's Will: A short post emphasizing how fatalistic thinking emphasizing sin can be damaging. It also discusses what my problem is with the New Calvinism, in that everything that happens is viewed as being part of God's will. It's not.


How Does God See Me In The Midst of Sin: This is a great post and video exploring people's reactions when asked how God reacts to them despite sin. The video is very good. I think this, again, emphasizes the limitations of focusing primarily on sin, which really is not the center of the Gospel. Our relationship with God is.


Philip Yancey on Doubt: Excellent article exploring the role of doubt and its relationship to apologetics, both of which have been featured on this blog. One of the best quotes from the article, I think, is, "I ask the same questions, but quite frankly, the biggest encouragement to my faith has not been losing an argument or winning an argument; the biggest encouragement to my faith is seeing it lived out in real life."



New Reformed Movement- Grassroots or Astroturf?: An article from last month that I just discovered poking some holes in the idea that the New Calvinism is really as popular as many claim it to be. Basically, as Jethani says, it seems like the popularity has more to do with a desire for certainty than anything else.


Pop Art: This is not terribly relevant to this blog, but just plain cool (maybe it's relevant by remembering the beauty God has put around us that we don't see--like my attempts? :) ). An artist has taken pictures at 1/40,000 of a second at the moment a water balloon pops. You've got to see the images!