The past weekend, I attended a one-day seminar called "Discover the Reason for Your Life." It was a typical seminar aimed at helping each attendee evaluate his or her life, and then set short and long term goals. The part I found most interesting was the first exercise we were asked to do.
Each person had to write down the names of people and events which had had a strong effect on their lives. Then after putting the events and people in chronological order, we had to make chapters of our life: childhood, high school, college, etc. It was interesting to look back on the people and events that had had a good positive influence on our lives.
However, what I and the other attendees noticed was that the bad events were actually the ones that acted as catalysts for good. The bad events of our lives had propelled us forward. The bad events had helped define our character and made us what we were today. The seemingly bad events had worked together for good like the Bible says.
"All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28.
I imagine that not all bad events, necessarily, do that. If the people involved do not love and trust God, then bad events could work for evil in their lives. If they don't let God use the bad events to shape their character and make them better people, they could easily end up bitter, resentful, angry, hateful or with any other numerous negative traits and attitudes.
By loving and trusting God even in the most difficult situations and events, God can transform that bad or ugly occurrence into something good. He can use it to transform our lives, transform our character, or transform the lives of others for good. God is good. Whatever He allows to happen in our lives, He can use for good, if we love and trust Him.
It is up to each one of us how we will let life's events affect us. We can get down and discouraged with the dirt and muck of life. Or, we can wash ourselves off, by reading God's word, and by walking in thankfulness and praise. We can trust that God loves us and is using the events in our lives for good. Day by day we can try again. Like Charlie Chaplin used to sing, "Smile, though your heart is aching."
Apostle Paul wrote. "For which cause we faint not; though our outward man perish, yet our inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction ( or trouble), which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory," 2 Corinthians 4:16-17.
If you are going through a seemingly hard spot right now with an illness, a financial problem, problems with your children or family, a change in your work space, or the physiological changes of getting older: do not lament. Today's seemingly difficult spot is actually helping in the continuous formation of your character. What you are going through today is preparing you for the glorious victorious days ahead, which you have yet to experience. God bless you and help you to keep looking up. "The future is as bright as the promises of God." Hang on.
PS: I finally realised the other day, that all the hard things I had passed through in life were from God's hand. Here are some of the main "bad" things: Divorce after 15 years of marriage, court case over accusations of fraud, court case over accusation of child abuse in relation to home-schooling, death of a one and a half year old grandchild, death of a 27-year old son, death of a 45-year old son, death of a best friend of 27 years.
It is not that God caused the events to take place. However, God used the bad events to help transform my stony heart into a heart of flesh, a heart that He could use to love and help others. That's the goal: a heart of love. "For the greatest of these is love," 1 Corinthians 13:13b.
Originally published February 2, 2012 Abridged and republished February 16, 2026.
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