There’s an odd question that has circled through my head more than once since I married Ivan.
Was I good, I wonder, that God saw fit to give me a good Christian husband who loves me with all his heart and is oh so kind? Is God rewarding me?
Or was I bad, that God decided he’d better give me a good Christian husband to help me stay on the straight and narrow?
Does anyone else tend to view life circumstances as reward and punishment?
Finally, I came to a conclusion that I think is more biblical and more godly.
1. God gave me Ivan, not because I’ve been good or bad (God is not Santa Claus, after all), but because Ivan is right for me.
2. God also gave me Ivan because he saw that Ivan and I together would help to build the kingdom of God more than Ivan and I alone.
Mom said something like this to me once. “When I was young, I thought I married Ted because I was so in love with him. Now I think that God had a bigger plan. There was something he wanted to accomplish for his kingdom through our marriage.” I remember that now and then.
I think that for many of the circumstances in life, whether good or bad, we can legitimately say, “God put me in this situation, not because I’ve been good or bad, but because somehow this situation is right for me. Maybe it will help me to grow. Maybe it will help to fulfill the person God made me to be. And God put me in this situation not only because it was right for me, but even more because it was right for him. Somehow, God can use me in this situation in a way he wants me to be used to grow his kingdom.”
What do you think?
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P.S. Rosina Schmucker over at Arabah Rejoice just posted a review and giveaway of Turtle Heart. Visit her blog not only to join the giveaway, but to read honest, thought-provoking posts that will stretch you in your journey with Christ.
Feature photo above was taken by Kathy Zimmerman.
I love giving my little girl candy , even if she was bad , I like giving her good things and making her happy.
God loves is more than we love our children, and wants to give us good things no matter what we’ve done. I’m living proof of this.
I love your conclusion! I think it is so right. I believe some day we will stand in awe of all God’s ways and purposes in our lives. We are here to bring glory to Him.
Sometimes I think, it’s not about me. I can get hung up on my own feelings and anxieties. But it’s not about me. It’s about God, and His plan. And that is good to know. 😊
Amen!
I think the conclusion you came to is right. ;)
You are not alone in wondering these things! I think them a lot (mainly the 2nd thought), especially because I was/am independent by nature, and the goals I had in mind for myself before marriage (i.e. career, accomplishments, etc.) had to go in order for me to be the happy wife I am, 13 years later.
Which sounds reasonable; but here is the rub: were those goals bad? No. Just going a different direction.
So was that direction bad? Were the things I practiced for and the ways I wanted to make a difference bad? Were my parents wrong to nudge me toward them? Was my childhood a big bad mistake? The truth is: NO.
But some days it is hard to reconcile that fact. It leaves me wondering, then WHAT was all that for?
And I am afraid that I may be parenting my sons ‘wrongly’. I must trust God to work out the details, and be the best mom I can be in the moment.
Trusting God to work out the details and doing the best you can in the moment sounds very wise, Sarah.
Lucinda, I love this perspective. Thank you for sharing!