Scripture teaches us that, in His infinite wisdom and power, God is working all things together for our good (Romans 8:28). That's hard to see sometimes. How can cancer, divorce, death, etc. be for anyone's good? If God's word is true, then the question must arise: what is our good? Is it health, wealth, and happiness? My answer: no, no, and maybe.
God is not silent on what our good is. In Ephesians 1:11-12 Paul tells us that we have been "predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: 12 That we should be to the praise of his glory..." So when we compare Romans 8:28 and Ephesians 1:11-12, we can see that our good is that we would be "to the praise of his glory!"
Typically, it's our health and wealth that lead us away from God. It's when I feel like I have everything I need, that I don't sense my need for God and my dependence on Him grows weak. While we would like to think of our health and wealth being for our good, more often than not they do more for our harm than they do our good.
So I said that health and wealth were not for our good, but our happiness may be for our good. What do I mean? Happiness is not for our good when our happiness is in health and wealth! Happiness is our good when it is rooted in contentment in God's working out all the details of my life – good and bad, so that I will be more like His Son. Let's say that another way. God's ruling the events in my life so that I would "be to the praise of his glory" by making me more like Christ, should produce joy in my life; even if God is using cancer to do it!
My greatest good is that God would show His love for me by making me more and more like Jesus, which gives Him great glory, especially when I consider what I am without Him. If the Captain of our Salvation was made perfect through suffering (Hebrews 2:10), and if He learned obedience through the things which He suffered (Hebrews 5:8); shall God not likewise use suffering in our lives to make us complete and obedient?
King David said that God was faithful to afflict him (Psalm 119:75), and that before he was afflicted, he went astray (Psalm 119:67). It is through our sufferings and afflictions that God, in His faithfulness and mercy, burns off our impurities and conforms us to the image of Christ. This is the story of redemption: bringing order out of chaos, joy out of sorrow, and glory out of suffering. This is the story of the cross.
Being like Christ is our greatest good!
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