"all Things Are Blessings From God" ?

[Eternal CB]

"All things are blessings from God". This is something my older brother told me. At first I disagreed, but now after thinking over a few extreme situations I believe this statement to be true. Nonetheless I'd still like to read some other ideas. Peace

[AccountDeleted]

All things good are blessings from God. Those things that are not good can be used by God to teach us, which is His way of turning them into blessings, even though they may have not been His will. Even evil can be turned to good if resisted and transformed by love. Just the way I see it. God is all good and only wants our good but our fallen and broken nature means that things happen through our actions or the actions of others that He needs to transform to make them a blessing for us.

God's love is our greatest blessing and He always offer this to us.

[bernadette d]

Yes, God certainly does turn all things to good for those who love Him.

[reyb]

[quote name='nunsense' timestamp='1318752786' post='2321967']
All things good are blessings from God. Those things that are not good can be used by God to teach us, which is His way of turning them into blessings, even though they may have not been His will. Even evil can be turned to good if resisted and transformed by love. Just the way I see it. God is all good and only wants our good but our fallen and broken nature means that things happen through our actions or the actions of others that He needs to transform to make them a blessing for us.

God's love is our greatest blessing and He always offer this to us.
[/quote]

If even death is a blessing then, everything is a blessing because nothing left which is not. Yes, everything is a blessing.
But I have a question. What do you mean by ‘Even not God’s will, it is still Good’? Are you saying there is goodness that comes from evil? Can you give me an example?

Edited October 16, 2011 by reyb

[MithLuin]

'The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away; blessed be the name of the Lord.'

The point of the story of Job is that if, even in the direst of circumstances, we can give glory to God, then we are truly blessed.

[AccountDeleted]

[quote name='reyb' timestamp='1318769857' post='2322039']

If even death is a blessing then, everything is a blessing because nothing left which is not. Yes, everything is a blessing.
But I have a question. What do you mean by ‘Even not God’s will, it is still Good’? Are you saying there is goodness that comes from evil? Can you give me an example?
[/quote]

I think you misinterpreted what I said by turning the phrase around. The quote is
[i]'Those things that are not good can be used by God to teach us, which is His way of turning them into blessings even though they may not have been His will.'[/i]

This is not the same as [i]'Even not God's will, it is still Good.'[/i]

What I mean is that evil (things that are not good and therefore not God's will) can be transformed by God into things that can teach us, therefore they 'become' blessings because of God's goodness.

Perhaps an example would be the great evil of the Nazi's concentration camps being used to create saints like St Maximilian Kolbe. The persecution of Christians throughout history has also been used by God to create saints.

I think there are probably too many examples to even begin. Surely in your own life you have seen injustices and wrongs that have been transformed by God into good? I know in my own life I have had things done to me that could have turned me sour and bitter, but with God's help have taught me to trust Him in all things. St Francis said we should be looking for hardship and suffering, but I am not at that stage... I do know that when faced it with it though, I would much rather go through it holding God's hand and afterwards I can see how He has transformed it from something horrible into something beautiful.

You could say that all these things have been God's will because He is aware of all things, but I doubt this. He gave us free will and we don't always use this in a way that glorifies God. I see it more as God wills goodness, but humans often choose evil, so God works with that... writing straight with crooked lines. But yes, it is still a blessing because God can transform even evil into good - witness the Crucifixion and Resurrection. In that scenario God willed that Jesus should suffer and die for us at the hands of evil men - not that he wanted the men to be evil, but that He used their evil to His own good with the cooperation of His Son.


At least, that's how I see it because of my own experiences of God. All things can be blessings.

[reyb]

[quote name='nunsense' timestamp='1318811284' post='2322333']

I think you misinterpreted what I said by turning the phrase around. The quote is
[i]'Those things that are not good can be used by God to teach us, which is His way of turning them into blessings even though they may not have been His will.'[/i]

This is not the same as [i]'Even not God's will, it is still Good.'[/i]

What I mean is that evil (things that are not good and therefore not God's will) can be transformed by God into things that can teach us, therefore they 'become' blessings because of God's goodness.

Perhaps an example would be the great evil of the Nazi's concentration camps being used to create saints like St Maximilian Kolbe. The persecution of Christians throughout history has also been used by God to create saints.

I think there are probably too many examples to even begin. Surely in your own life you have seen injustices and wrongs that have been transformed by God into good? I know in my own life I have had things done to me that could have turned me sour and bitter, but with God's help have taught me to trust Him in all things. St Francis said we should be looking for hardship and suffering, but I am not at that stage... I do know that when faced it with it though, I would much rather go through it holding God's hand and afterwards I can see how He has transformed it from something horrible into something beautiful.

You could say that all these things have been God's will because He is aware of all things, but I doubt this. He gave us free will and we don't always use this in a way that glorifies God. I see it more as God wills goodness, but humans often choose evil, so God works with that... writing straight with crooked lines. But yes, it is still a blessing because God can transform even evil into good - witness the Crucifixion and Resurrection. In that scenario God willed that Jesus should suffer and die for us at the hands of evil men - not that he wanted the men to be evil, but that He used their evil to His own good with the cooperation of His Son.


At least, that's how I see it because of my own experiences of God. All things can be blessings.
[/quote]


You are talking good and evil according to man and not according to spirit because, there is no good thing that will come out from evil as it is written in Matt 12:33-37

33 "Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. 36 But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."

Anyway, Good luck.

Edited October 17, 2011 by reyb

[tinytherese]

[quote name='reyb' timestamp='1318868477' post='2322702']
You are talking good and evil according to man and not according to spirit because, there is no good thing that will come out from evil as it is written in Matt 12:33-37
[/quote]

God does not will evil things to happen, people do. However, that doesn't stop God. Despite how disappointed he is that people do evil, he can still bring good from those situations. Does this justify what they do? No, but God makes the best of it.

I remember reading years ago in the story of Joseph from the book of Genesis--the one who was betrayed by his jealous brothers by being sold into slavery in Egypt and then as a slave being falsely accused of sexual misconduct with his master's wife and was thrown into prison despite his innocence, that God brought good from this situation, despite how unjustly Joseph was treated.

In prison, he met two servants of the Pharoah who were thrown in such a dire place and each had a dream that they didn't know how to interpret and Joseph correctly did so for them. The dreams were prophecies of what would happen to them individually and they ended up happening just as Joseph said they would. One of them was put to death and the other was one day freed from prison. Joseph asked this servant to tell the Pharoah about him--that he did not commit the crime that he was accused of.

Unfortunately, the man forgot about Joseph for two years, but when Pharoah had dreams that no one could understand, he finally spoke up. Joseph was sent and rightly interpreted and ended up saving the lives of many people because the dreams were warnings of a famine in the future. Because of his gift for interpretation and other talents he was freed from imprisonment and appointed Pharoah's right hand man to handle the situation. Through the work that he did, Joseph helped save Egypt and many other countries since there was a worldwide famine and Joseph figured out how to ration the previous surplus food so that they wouldn't starve.

He was eventually reunited and reconciled with the brothers of his who greatly did him wrong. They were genuinely sorry especially since they watched their dear father suffer from the loss of Joseph. Joseph forgave them and the family came to live in Egypt to be with Joseph. Does this justify what the brothers and the other people who greatly mistreated Joseph? No, but God was able to bring good out of the situation and to even use this as a way to save the world from starvation.

[tinytherese]

[quote name='nunsense' timestamp='1318811284' post='2322333']

You could say that all these things have been God's will because He is aware of all things, but I doubt this. He gave us free will and we don't always use this in a way that glorifies God. I see it more as God wills goodness, but humans often choose evil, so God works with that... writing straight with crooked lines. But yes, it is still a blessing because God can transform even evil into good - witness the Crucifixion and Resurrection. In that scenario God willed that Jesus should suffer and die for us at the hands of evil men - not that he wanted the men to be evil, but that He used their evil to His own good with the cooperation of His Son.


At least, that's how I see it because of my own experiences of God. All things can be blessings.
[/quote]

That reminded me of a line from the Exsultet at the Easter Vigil, "O happy fault, O necessary sin of Adam, which gained for us so great a Redeemer!"

As far as St. Francis's quote about looking for suffering, nothing against him, but as I've heard it said there is no need to ask or look for suffering because in this life you will be sure to go throug it regardless.

[i<3franciscans]

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CSVqHcdhXQ"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CSVqHcdhXQ[/url]

This says it all.

[Eternal CB]

^ so true

[Tab'le De'Bah-Rye]

I cant believe abortion is in anyway a blessing, nore euthanasia or assisted suicide, or even suicide in any circumstance, nore condoms, plus neumerous other things that i wont list including philosophies. Though i agree such bad can be turned to good in the sense not that the bad can ever be good but as nunnsense stated that if we overcome that bad with the grace of GOD therefore we have victory inn Jesus name. Not that God wills evil though or that even evil needs to be encountered to have victory though perhaps it does, i know not. I think there is a scripture in the holy bible that says something like ' all things are holy to a holy man' but perhaps this verse is relating to all things natural and not man made as st benedict was talking about when he said that everything in moderation is good,for sin in moderation or any amount is not good, i'm still discerning as to whether such sentiment is related only to the natural order for "the LORD is my shepard and i shall not want" and a child doesn't really need anything except for relationship,food,clothing,water,accommodation,warmth in winter and perhaps music,that is a discussion me and a friend where having tonight about music and whether it is natural,children seem to like to bash a beat with two sticks on stuff.

Edited June 23, 2015 by Tab'le De'Bah-Rye