Seeing Disaster as God Sees It
The ability to see disaster within a framework that is good requires us to love God more than the things we lose. This means I must know him, believe him, and trust him. In the amazing conversation in the Upper Room, Jesus connected these two concepts and added a third.
He started by telling the eleven, “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me’ John 14:1). When he told them he was leaving (for the cross), Thomas wanted to know where he was going and Jesus responded, “l am the way, and the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father but through me (John 14:6). Further, Jesus tells them that if they loved him, they would keep his commandments (John 14:15).
The connection is striking. We know, believe, love, trust, and obey Jesus. When it comes to dealing with sadness caused by loss, the non-Christian is at an incredible disadvantage because he cannot believe and love someone he does not know. When we know God loving him allows us the choice to see our catastrophe as his tool.
We know that God loves us and that he is all-wise, so we know that whatever he allows into our lives will be for our good and his glory. While we might not be able to see and understand it at the time, we can trust like Martha did. Martha believed and trusted Jesus even if Lazarus had to stay in the grave until Christ’s second coming.
We can depend on God the same way. We know that whatever we lose, God intends to use that loss well and wisely. Eve’s illness took on a completely different meaning when she could see God rearranging her life. That dulled a lot of the pain associated with the losses, they became, as Paul said, lost things he could now count as gain because of the way God used them (see Phil. 3.7).
—Charles D Hodges,
Good Mood Bad Mood: Help and Hope for Depression and Bipolar Disorder
In recovery, we often face the painful reality of loss—lost time, broken relationships, missed opportunities, or the stripping away of what once felt secure. Charles Hodges reminds us that the only way to see these losses within a framework of hope is to know, believe, love, and trust Jesus more than the things we’ve lost. This kind of trust doesn’t come easily. But in John 14, Jesus gives us the way forward: believe in Him, trust His path, and love Him through obedience. When we know Him deeply, we can choose to see even catastrophe as something God can use—not to punish us, but to shape us for good. This kind of faith doesn’t always take away the pain, but it reframes it. Like Martha at her brother’s tomb, we may not get the outcome we hope for—but we can still trust the heart of the One who holds the outcome. In treatment, as you wrestle with grief or sadness, remember: God isn’t wasting your losses. He’s rearranging your life in ways you may not yet see. But He is wise, loving, and present—and He will use every sorrow for His glory and your gain. —DH
—David Hoskins, Founder & Care Guide, Sanctuary Clinics