And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)
Nothing that happens is beyond God's control. Ultimately, whatever comes into our life is either sent by our Father or permitted by Him, and that which does not enter is withheld according to His will. But believers sometimes get so caught up in the moment that they forget about the Lord's omnipotence. Then when life is challenging or uncomfortable, the temptation is to react against whatever seems to be causing them trouble. Fired? Blame the boss. Single? Blame the opposite sex.
To illustrate this idea, think about a child who has to swallow a nasty-tasting antibiotic. In a fit of frustration, he slaps away the bottle from his mother's hand, even though the container is only a "secondary agent." Mom is the one who dispenses the medicine, but since he cannot slap her, he turns his irritation against the vessel.
When we "slap away the bottle," we take out our anger and resentment on the vessel the Lord is using instead of accepting that His will is at work. God does assure us He is working out the details of our life for good, but we cannot assume this means everything will turn out to our liking.
Sometimes it's easier to turn our wrath against an earthly agent than to be honest with our Father about frustration over our circumstances. But God welcomes honesty. Both Jesus and the apostle Paul cried out to Him in anguish (Matthew 26:39; 2 Corinthians 12:7-9). If we recognize that God is in control and guiding our future for good, then we will not stay discouraged for long.
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