Grace, Grace, God's Grace...

On my mind a lot lately. And C.S. Lewis' The Problem of Pain has been an amazing study in God's goodness and what it means. The clearer thoughts below are from him. God is good. In our finite, created minds we don't know what good actually means.

God is good. All the time. All the time, God is good.

One of those sayings we believers share as a sort of pep-talk. But do you notice, we usually mention it when we've come out of a challenge or prayer-filled season of life with favorable results? The results we were hoping for that would be most convenient, comfortable, or safe? Not to say those aren't great things to pray for. But how often do we remind each other that God is good when we aren't exactly enjoying His responses?

Good doesn't simply mean kind. Kindness, when taken to its extreme, is more akin to hate. Kindness means you desire total comfort, fun, "happiness", and ease for the one you are kind to. If this is what you limited someone's or something's life to (as if it were possible), they'd never grow. Physical growth hurts. Mental growth frustrates. Spiritual growth is agonizing sometimes.

God is good.

I have a lot more to note on this topic, mostly from this amazing book, but I have to go back and review, then finish it up. I haven't been able to read it in a couple of weeks, so I'm dying to get back into it.

Please.

Read.

This.

Book!