Conformed to Christ

In recent years, our local high school has turned out two star basketball players. One, since graduating, has gone on to play in the NBA. The other, a senior, led the team to winning the state title this year. Yet when the coach is interviewed, he never boasts about one individual player, but rather, he praises the efforts of the whole team. “No achievement is reached by a sole player. It takes the skill and synergy of the entire team,” he says. Synergy occurs when combined efforts yield a greater result than the sum of individual parts, or in this case, players. The word comes from the Greek sunergeo, meaning “to work together.” It’s used in a commonly quoted verse of Scripture, Romans 8:28: “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” In the context of suffering, the apostle Paul wants the church to know that although God doesn’t cause their suffering, He will in all things—the seemingly good and bad—be working to bring to pass His desired plan for their ultimate good. We might easily think “good” refers to success, health, or happiness. But the next verse sheds further light: “For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son.” In every challenge or difficulty we face, we can be confident that God is working for our good by making us more and more like Jesus—the One who understands all our struggles and heartaches, our joys and triumphs. We can draw near to Him, trusting that He is working in all our circumstances for our good and His glory and kingdom purposes. In Christ, God shapes our lives to become more like His Son, a process that will one day be complete when we see Him face-to-face (2 Corinthians 3:18; 1 John 3:2). • Cheryl Elton • When have you worked together with others to accomplish a goal or complete a task? • Can you recall a challenging circumstance in your life in which you saw God working? • Have you experienced a difficult time that God used to make you become more like Jesus? And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28 (NLT)

Read Verses:

Hebrews 4:14-16; 1 Peter 4:12-13