Everything God Does Is Good

If you’re familiar with any of the major religions, you’ll remember this sentiment.

Let’s unpack it psychologically.

What is God?

Leaving theology, cosmology and metaphysics aside, we can speak about the idea of God and the image of God.

Symbolically, God represents the highest value of a person.

Whatever you value most, that you will sacrifice everything else for.

But doesn’t this make the above expression meaningless?

In what sense does “the highest value of a person” DO anything?

You could say that the highest value motivates and inspires but that’s not the sort of doing that we would need to remind ourselves about its goodness.

We need reminders in God’s goodness when we’re suffering. Especially when we are suffering in a way that doesn’t feel justified.

Why do the righteous suffer is the age-old question depicted in the book of Job.

In older times, it was easy to ascribe to God everything outside of oneself.

Thunder—God.

Sickness—God.

Eclipse—God.

War—God.

And so on.

Now, we have scientific explanations that allow us more control over our environment and leave less room for the mysterious, transcendent force that perhaps can be bargained with.

The Unconscious is one space where we can still find this mystery.

Where do our dreams come from? Our glimmers of inspiration? Our neuroses? Our self-sabotaging accidents? Illnesses that defy medical explanation?

Since a significant portion of what comes from our unconscious might be uncomfortable for us, like nightmares for example, it would make sense to remind ourselves that everything that comes is good.

How is a nightmare good?

Those who study dreams will tell you that what scares you is carrying something medicinal for you. The specific form of the fear is symbolically something you need.

This is how the expression is traditionally understood— bad things happen to you but there is a hidden benefit, an opportunity for growth.

My dad says, “every problem is an opportunity.”

This is the essence of faith. I can’t think of a way to prove this, but I believe it and believe that believing it is empowering. Just remembering this when confronted with suffering, pain, fear etc. is an invitation to creativity, perseverance and hope—exactly what faith is all about.