SEEING THE BIG PICTURE
~Daniel Hope
Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabridge Uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in what order the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is that the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the word as a wlohe. Amzanig huh?
If we could develop our minds to have the same perspective when living as when reading, then it would be apparent that our human experience is not the jumbled mess it often appears. If only we could see the big picture our pain would be much more bearable. If only we knew that our story would end in victory we just might be able to muster the fortitude to keep fighting.
Well, guess what? We do know how our story will end. According to Romans 8, we who belong to Christ are “more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” In this beautifully deep chapter, Paul pulls the sheet off human experience and unveils the big picture God is painting for His children. A picture of victory, a picture of glory.
Unlike what you might expect, however, this picture is painted with a pallet that includes a wide range of dark colors. Incorporated into this portrait of glory are even black splotches of suffering. These blots may appear hideous up close, but when viewed as a whole they amazingly not only fail to distract from its incredible beauty, they actually intensify the exquisiteness of its beauty. In fact, from a distance it’s utterly remarkable how natural these dark spots appear on this canvas of conquest.
When gazing in admiration at the big picture, it’s clear that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him” (Rom. 8:28). This verse obviously isn’t promising that everything that happens in our lives will be good and pleasant; there’s no denying the black blotches. It’s also not promising that every bad and painful thing that happens to us in this life will have a positive complement in this life. Just take a look back at the painting and you’ll see that all the black blotches aren’t overlaid with gold ones. In other words, the pit isn’t always followed by the palace like is was for Joseph. Sometimes nothing good comes out of life’s sufferings other than that through these sufferings God is equipping His people for eternity. The promise in this verse is that God will work in our lives to transform our pain into a prelude of glory. In the context, Paul’s looking at the big picture. And in the big scheme of things, our greatest good is our glorification.
So, we mustn’t pretend the black smudges aren’t there, and we mustn’t expect for each black smudge to be followed by a gold one. But what we must recognize is that these smudges are God’s way of reminding us to step back and take a look at the big picture. And when we do we’ll be amazed at how God so masterfully uses a pallet of pain on our canvass of conquest.
Are you sieeng the big pcitrue?