The beauty of God’s workflow

Ecclesiastes 3:11: “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end”

It felt appropriate to start things off with this all-timer. Why so? In the build-up to where I currently am in life, it is only recently that I afforded myself the opportunity to just reflect. At this, the thought that constantly comes to mind is that if it indeed were within my power to determine the overall trajectory of my life, I wouldn’t have considered at least half of the experience I’ve had. Save for breathing, eating and having a good time with friends and family; my self-prescribed existence would definitely have been one of the most boring – often displaying that flat line on an ECG monitor for those who get. Surely, my life wouldn’t ever get close to bringing me any meaning.

Otherwise, I give glory and praise to my Creator who set everything in place so intricately and according to His most-awesome desire in such a way that only a few select words can be used to describe His overall workflow. One of these words is captured in Ecclesiastes 3:11; whose most suitable English translation is the term ‘beautiful’. Blessed is the heart of this preacher as he was able to understand and perceive this matter from God’s own perspective; in that above all storms, floods, fires, harvests, peace and calm alike; everything as it happens lines up perfectly in accordance with God’s overall eternal desire and will which is beautiful.

My ability to adopt this simple level of understanding is what enabled me to come into terms with God’s unique desire for my current earthly existence. I realized that it is only when one begins to actually seek Him out that he or she is able to perceive the beauty in God’s workflow – pain, comfort, joy and sorrow alike. At this, I had to first recognize that there is always purpose for the pain and sorrow and reason for the comfort and joy as well. Comprehending why and how this applies to me on an individual scale enabled me to capture this beauty which is by all means an expression of God’s lofty mind.

By His own good desire, He first allowed me some time-out to just be as I felt like. This was on account of Adam’s initial decision to alienate himself from God’s presence by sinning. At this, I dealt carefree with the world which in return gave me back the only thing it had – bitter herbs to chew upon. It was only by God’s grace that I didn’t plummet (still in keeping with His good desire) as He began to gradually cause a shift in the atmosphere around me so that I could be able to bring myself (with His guidance) to the point of acknowledging that the emptiness that was existent within me as a consequence of Adam straying away from Him could only be quenched by Him.

His prospect for me was (and still is) an eternal one and this meant that all the perpetual pain and sorrow, temporary joy and comfort was the mere result of me vainly resting my heart’s assurance on the perishable things that this world could offer. My resultant grief was the well-apportioned outcome of preferred reliance on things and even fellow men to God. Nevertheless, my blessing from Him was still secure and it only depended upon me sitting to reason things out with Him. The shift in mindset which came about as a result is the reason as to why I now have grace sufficient enough to get me through the writing of this article.

This doesn’t mean that I have it all figured out. Rather, I have it figured out to the good extent of capturing the beauty of His workflow as regards the current affairs of my life. The rest is as Jesus Christ puts it in John 3:8, that “…The wind blows wherever I it pleases. You hear its sound but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” We certainly cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end but we have the chance to see and perceive the beauty of His workflow. This is His purpose for us. You’re more than welcome to share in it.