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Over the course of my lifetime I have literally seen hundreds of Bible verses stuck to the bumpers of vehicles. I've read thousands of them on plaques hanging on dining room walls and even bathrooms. Speaking of bathrooms, I've even seen Scripture jotted down on scrap pieces of paper taped to bathroom mirrors. It seems that the all time favorite bathroom mirror, bumper, and refrigerator verses is Romans 8:28. "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." What a blessing to know that regardless of what we see, feel, or experience in this life we can know that ultimately it is for our good. Even the most painful times are somehow intertwined working for our good, according to His purpose. There are a couple of words in that verse that are often ignored. They are "His purpose." What is His purpose? There is another verse in that same chapter that might help us find the answer. It's a verse that I have never seen on a plaque even though its words are equally as important as Romans 8:20. In fact they are so important that Paul shares them before the famous wall plaque verse. Carefully read this verse: "For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope." (Romans 8:20) When was the last time you ever saw that on a bumper sticker? When was the last time you heard a sermon preached on this verse? Along with throwing a major monkey wrench into the doctrine of <a href=" http://www.jamesflanders.com/3/post/2012/12/what-do-you-think-about-free-will.html">"free will"</a> but it also clues us in on the fact that this present evil age in which we live is not designed in any way for us to successfully and absolutely find total satisfaction in anything at all that this world has to offer. Have you ever noticed how the most successful people in the world are still not satisfied? Those who reach the pinnacle in business and finance seem to always want a little more. Those who have dominated in sports retire for a short time, but then have to try and make a comeback. Whatever they attained just wasn't enough. All of us do what we can to live long and healthy lives, we watch what we eat, exercise, and take our vitamins, yet we still grow old, get sick, wear out, and eventually die. We have been subjected to that. It is part of a grand design from before the beginnings of this world. According to Scripture all of creation has been subjected to futility and frustration. Experiencing a lifetime of frustration and futility is not what any of us would have chosen. A lifetime of frustration was not in the least bit your choice or mine. The frustration that comes along with eating right, exercising, following your doctor's advice, and yet still facing death was not your free will choice or mine. The fact that the more we try to eradicate disease more diseases develop was not the choice of man. Our futile efforts to "fix the world" are futile by God's design. The Holy Spirit inspired words of Romans 8:20 tell us that although this frustration was not the will of man, however it was and still is the will of God. Here is the same verse from a literal translation: "For to vanity was the creation made subject -- not of its will, but because of Him who did subject [it] -- in hope," Frustration, futility, and vanity are the words that describe what the creator has subjected His creation to in this age. Although we might not fully understand why, at least we can know that it is all working together for the good. After wrestling with this verse and others like it, I have reached the conclusion that the frustration and futility you and I are currently experiencing is a very necessary part of our development and growth. Without experiencing these things in this age we would have no point of reference to help us absolutely and fully appreciate the beauty and the glory that is to come. After all the only way we can relish sweetness is to have also experienced bitterness. The only way to appreciate the gift of life is to have experienced death lingering over us. You might think I'm crazy, however I am convinced that the pain, futility, and frustration of day to day life here and now is the key to enjoying to the fullest the wonderful things Father has prepared for us. James Flanders is a part-time theologian, musician, and audio blogger. He and his wife Tanya have been playing music and searching the Scriptures together for over twenty years (experiencing much futility and frustration along the way (Romans 8:20).
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