Some Thoughts

Comments on three passages from today’s reading:

All the days of the afflicted are evil, but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast. (Proverbs 15:15, ESV [show] [15]All the days of the afflicted are evil, but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast.
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One of the most profound things I’ve read in a while was in Paul Tripp’s War of Words (paraphrased): “We never respond to facts; we respond to our interpretation of the facts. We never react to events, but to our interpretation of them.” If one believes that God is God (ie, in control of whatsoever comes to pass), and that God is good, then everything in life can be seen as either immediately or ultimately for our good (hence, Romans 8:28 [show] [28]And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (ESV)
). Trials can be seen as good. Calamity, even, can be seen as for our good (despite it’s being very difficult at the time – as is all discipline, as is all other ‘strength training’). This leads to a tremendous, reality-based optimism – and is the only real basis for it.

Much of faith is about interpreting life in terms of what we know of God through the Scriptures. He works all things, for his glory, and for the good of those whom he calls. James says, “Count it all joy when you fall into various trials…” (James 1:2, ESV [show] [2]Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, (ESV)
) Paul spurs us on toward holiness by saying, “…consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Rom 6:11, ESV [show] [11]So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. (ESV)
). Far from being some kind of self-deception, when we exercise our faith in the mind-battle to re-interpret life according to God’s interpretation, we are actually being un-deceived. We are beginning to see things as they truly are. And when that happens, because God is God and God is good, our hearts will grow ever more “cheerful,” and life will much more resemble a “continual feast” than it will “affliction” and evil. “He is good, and he does good.”

Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. (Phil 2:14, ESV [show] [14]Do all things without grumbling or questioning, (ESV)
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How can we do all things without grumbling or questioning? By holding fast to the interpretation of life described above: all things are from God. Most of our troubles and sins come from wanting something too strongly — something, that is, other than Christ himself. If we truly believe in our minds and hearts that God is God and God is good, then we can handle anything that comes our way with (at least eventual) cheerfulness, and without grumbling or questioning. The “Father knows best.”

They all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. (Phil. 2:21, ESV [show] [21]For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. (ESV)
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This verse really struck me this morning.