He Can Work It Out

~ Romans 8:28

We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.

"Try to see it my way. Do I have to keep on talking till I can’t go on? While you see it your way, run the risk of knowing that our love may soon be gone.”

Sound familiar? They’re the opening lines of “We Can Work It Out,” a timeless plea from John Lennon and Paul McCartney. I’m confident that early man sang a similar tune in his cave-dwelling days (though I suspect the acoustics were much better!). It’s a natural, deep-seated tendency for us to seek peaceful resolutions with one another, to reach an accord where everyone can walk away satisfied.

Over the centuries, we’ve developed negotiation into an art form. Those proficient in this art are masters of communication; they understand their audience's interests, anticipate their positions, and find creative solutions. We call them mediators, intercessors, peacemakers. They earn these noble titles when society weighs the results of their efforts and finds them balanced. Is it a win-win? If the answer is yes, we can all rise from the table with a sigh of relief. Thank you, Sir Go-Between. Mission accomplished.

Problem:

But what is the one significant fact we so conveniently forget? Man’s scales will never be in perfect balance. Because humans themselves are imperfect, our deals and negotiations will never emerge unblemished. Someone almost always has to settle for less. Someone has to bite the bullet and compromise on a bottom line far below what they had hoped for. As the song wisely reminds us, “Life is very short, and there’s no time for fussing and fighting, my friend.” So, if our best efforts at mediation are flawed, where do we turn?

Promise:

This is where the promise of God changes everything. The sooner we grasp it, the better off we’ll be. This realization comes when we stop demanding that God prove Himself to us and take Him at His Word. He has already provided a lifetime of evidence in His autobiography, the Bible.

This is where Jesus Christ steps in. His Father doesn’t promise to solve some of our problems. He doesn’t promise to work out most of our struggles. The promise, for those who love Him and place their faith in Him, is that He will work out all things for our good.

Every relational conflict, every physical ailment, every emotional wound—all of it is placed on His perfectly balanced scale. Every harm that befalls us is turned to good by His hand. Every difficulty and obstacle becomes an integral part of His divine strategy for our ultimate benefit. Believe that!

His Son, Jesus Christ, is our ultimate mediator, our Negotiator Prime. He laid down His own life as the decisive bargaining chip to purchase our freedom. In one sacrificial act, He changed our address from cave dwellers to paradise dwellers.

So, with all due respect to John and Sir Paul, I’d like to ask a small favor. Let me change one word in your famous chorus: “He can work it out.” Yes, that has a much better flow to it. And the best part? We can find the terms of this perfect negotiation in the “Finer Print” of His Word.

~ Romans 8:28

We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.