The Good and the Bad in Each Day

Rick Warren, the best-selling author of The Purpose Driven Life, said in an interview, “I used to think that life was hills and valleys – you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don’t believe that anymore. Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it’s kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life. No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on. And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for.”

I’ve found this analogy to be very helpful. Each day is a mixture of good and bad: some days more good than bad and some days more bad than good. We can’t ignore the bad, but we also don’t have to fixate on it either! If we’re not careful we can miss the good in each day.  As a pastor I’ve been with people when life turns really bad in some tragedy, but even in the tragedy I see some good – some good people coming around to be of help and support to those going through the tragedy.

Not only is there always some good to be found in each day, but we also have a good God who is there with us in each of our days; we just have to reach out to Him. This world may be broken, but we can survive and even thrive in it because the Lord is with us! We can live well because we can be with Him and He with us!

Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)