“…so that the work of God might be displayed.” That phrase is powerful. The work of God is displayed all around me every day, isn’t it? When I turn to look out of my office window to watch a storm front move in from the Everglades. When I see the brilliant yellows, grays, oranges, blues, and pinks of a Florida sunrise over the ocean or sunset over the horizon. Celebrating the life of a friend who has crossed over and is finally free and home. Watching my son make a decision he knows is in his own best interest when he would rather do something totally different. Celebrating a friend who earns his 90 days sober chip and another who earns his 1 year. All of these display the work of God.
I think one of the reasons I can’t stop thinking about the quote is because of all the times I have decided that I must be doing something wrong because my life doesn’t look like I think it should. I haven’t achieved what I think I should have achieved. I don’t have the things I think I should have. It amazes me how deeply I can be committed to the reward/punishment view of life. Oftentimes, I don’t even realize it at first. Then I waste so much energy trying to fix things when the simple reality could be that God is just up to something separate and apart from my good behavior or bad behavior.
Think about that. What if God is up to something apart from my behavior? What if He is simply working out His will through my life? What if how it looks today and what I have to travel through to get to what it will look like in the future creates the opportunity to display his glory and accomplish something for someone else and doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with me, per se? Now, please hold your theological high horses at bay and let me qualify that statement to say of course, obedience. Of course, holiness. However, if my behavior, good or bad, is the determining factor of what I enjoy, then God is no longer God – I have become Him. Or a very poor reflection of Him. “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.”
I think about my buddy Andy. Andy crossed over into eternity a few weeks ago after years of battling an insidious throat and mouth cancer. He hadn’t eaten solid food in nearly 8 years. He went through surgery upon surgery, chemo upon chemo, radiation upon radiation, and Andy never lost faith. I’m sure he despaired and I’m sure at times he had questions. But mostly, he just continued to live his life as best he was able and as best his body would let him. When I look at Andy’s life, it’s tempting to ask “what did he do wrong?”. Andy would tell you, plenty. Really, though, I think what Andy walked through and who he became in that process was all about displaying the work of God.
And I know of MANY whose lives have drawn closer to God because of it.
Gratefully, I have not experienced anything approaching the struggle of Andy’s life – but I have certainly had my share. What life hasn’t? Whether its the loss of a job, struggles with teenagers, serious health issues with spouse and close family, or unexpected struggles and set backs in the lives of people I love. I could look at those things collectively as a hard life. Or maybe just a normal life. Or I could stop myself and ask, how many of these things have happened “so that the work of God might be displayed”?
And my answer would be…all of them.
Look Deeper Solutions 
More great deep thoughts. It alleviates a burden and elevates grace when we realize that neither reward/punishment nor karma rule our lives, but our sovereign God who does.