How our view of God determines how we handle adversity

“The size of our God determines the size of everything else.”

Howard Hendricks

A. W. Tozer began his classic study of the attributes of God, The Knowledge of the Holy, with this declaration: 

“What comes to our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us… The history of mankind will probably show that no people has ever risen above its religion, and man’s spiritual history will positively demonstrate that no religion has ever been greater than its idea of God. Worship is pure or base as the worshiper entertains high or low thoughts of God.”

How we view God determines how we view and respond to everything else. Yet, if we are honest with ourselves, our reaction to things that happen to us communicates something we may not want to admit. When we become undone by things people do to us or don’t do for us, we are, in essence, revealing our unbelief. What we actually believe is that He is not as good as He says He is and/or that He is not really in control. We don’t believe God is who He says He is.  

When we embrace the goodness of God combined with the Sovereignty of God, we will never be undone by anything God permits. This belief is especially important when we are wounded. So often when someone does something that offends us, the hurt steals our focus and dominates our thoughts. The more we dwell on it, the bigger the issue becomes until it becomes all consuming. It’s not long before the wound is all we think about and we view everything else through the prism of the offense. As the issue grows in size, our perception of God diminishes in size at precisely the same rate causing everything to become distorted. 

Yet, as we grow in our knowledge of God and understanding of His attributes, such as His goodness and His sovereignty, we begin to view all of our circumstances though a different grid. Whatever has your focus has you!

1. God is good! Tozer defines God’s goodness as “that which disposes Him to be kind, cordial, benevolent, and full of good will toward men. He is tenderhearted and of quick sympathy, and His unfailing attitude toward all moral beings is open, frank, and friendly. By His nature He is inclined to bestow blessedness and He takes Holy pleasure in the happiness of His people.” (Knowledge of the Holy pg. 82) 

J. I. Packer reflects on God’s goodness this way: “Within the cluster of God’s moral perfections there is one in particular to which the term goodness points  ---the quality which God especially singled out from the whole when, proclaiming ‘all His goodness’ to Moses, He spoke of Himself as ‘abundant in goodness and truth.’… This is the quality of generosity.”  (Knowing God pg. 162)

2. God is sovereign! To be sovereign is to be all superior to all things in power, rank, and authority.  Tozer defines God’s sovereignty as “the attribute by which He rules His entire creation, and to be sovereign God must be all-knowing, all-powerful, and absolutely free. The reasons are these: Were there even one datum of knowledge, however small, unknown to God, His rule would break down at that point. To be Lord over all creation, He must possess all knowledge. And were God lacking one infinitesimal modicum of power, that lack would end His reign and undo His kingdom; that one stray atom of power would belong to someone else and God would be a limited ruler and hence not sovereign.” (Knowledge of the Holy pg. 108) 

God’s sovereignty means He rules supremely and He is without equal. He is in charge of all things and has the power and might to make sure what He wants done is done and what He doesn’t want done isn’t done. If something happens, it comes through His hands. While He gives limited autonomy to mankind, as well as Satan and his minions, God is never out of control.

God is good and God is sovereign!

Everything about God and all He does is profoundly good and generous to us. Everything He permits is ultimately good for us and everything He prevents is ultimately good for us. Therefore, everything that does or does not happen to us is for our good, whether it feels that way to us or not. Our problem is with our definitions. We are prone to define good based on how we feel about something. If it feels bad or it costs us something, it cannot be good. Yet when we do that, we become the standard for goodness. Yet, God is the standard for goodness. If it comes through His hands, it is for our good. Period. The lessor always gives way to the greater so our concept of good must give way to God’s concept of good in recognition of His sovereignty.

Does that mean that evil doesn’t exist or that God causes evil? Of course not! God is also holy in that all that He is, thinks, says, and does is totally good and right and totally free from evil of any kind. God doesn’t cause sin but He does redeem sinful man. God doesn’t cause evil, but He redeems evil situations. He makes good out of bad. God permits what He could prevent in order to bring about His greater glory and our greater good. He also prevents what He could permit to bring about His greater glory and our greater good. He takes the evil that wounds us that He does not plan and manipulates it for His glory and our good in such a way that it looks like He may have planned it that way all along. 

God is good and God is sovereign!

When we learn to focus on God’s goodness and His sovereignty, our view of everything else changes. Wounds and tragedies that previously dominated our minds and emotions now drift into the background as forgiveness becomes second nature in the light of the redeeming power of the Cross of Jesus and triumphant power of the empty tomb. When forgiveness becomes second nature, our torment is transformed into peace.

When we embrace the goodness of God combined with the Sovereignty of God, we will never be undone by anything God permits.