A Remedy for Fretting
“He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”
A few months ago, I posted different Bible verses throughout our home in areas I frequent. They were all verses that summarized the gospel, Romans 8:32 being one of them. I recognized how quickly my mind and attention shift away from the truth of the gospel, mainly towards myself, but also towards other worthless and unholy thoughts. Being bombarded with the truth and hope of the gospel as I went about my day proved fruitful to reorient my gaze and perspective. It also helped me to unintentionally memorize these verses and meditate more thoughtfully on what truth was being communicated. Here are some of my reflections on Romans 8:32:
This may be one of my favorite rhetorical questions in Scripture.
“How will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”
What more could we possibly need? Is there something you are fretting about? Do you question God’s withholding of something in your life? If he did not spare his own Son, his very best, is he not able…capable…moved with compassion towards you to care for you, provide for you, help you…in whatever else it may be?
Can he who spared his own Son for you be trusted to give you everything he sees fit as best for you? What more could we possibly need? The Son has been given for us to be the propitiation for our sin (1 John 2:2), reconciling us to God (Romans 5:10, 2 Corinthians 5:18-21), and giving us eternal comfort and hope through grace (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
What a wonder that he would be so unfathomably kind to us who were alienated, enemies of him; who apart from him are spiritually wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked?!
Two things are revealed about God in this text: one, that he is a giving God, who does not spare his absolute best for us, and two, that he is a gracious God. He has provided a way of salvation for us in the giving up of his Son. What more could we possibly need? Yet, he moves towards us in graciousness to not only provide for us spiritually, and eternally, but in ways innumerable!
God has already given his ultimate best to and for us. We can cease fretting, because he can be trusted! He will be faithful to help us take hold of his promises by faith. May this scripture be a fighter verse to help us battle the deluge of worry, fretting, anxiety, and discontentment that bombard us as we navigate life in this fallen world.
“If God is my heavenly Father, if he laid down his life for me, isn’t it reasonable to assume that he knows a whole lot better than I do what’s good for me?”-Elisabeth Elliot
