Divine Providence

Here's how I think about Divine Providence:

Anything good in my life is because of the loving influence of God on the world.

Anything evil in my life is because I or someone else refused to cooperate with God’s loving influence.

I recognize that my knowledge of good and evil is imperfect. Not everything I call good is actually good. And that not everything I call evil is actually evil. But that does not mean good and bad have no meaning or that my understanding is wholly incorrect. I can still confidently say that disease, death, rape, abuse, and violence are never God's will. I never need to see evil in someone's life and say, "Well, it's all part of God's plan."

There are most certainly things in my life that cause me hurt or discomfort that may in fact be part of God's plan. Pain is often involved in growth and healing. But I can trust that while God's will may hurt at times, God will never harm me.