Ravi Zacharius reminds us in his book, The Grand Weaver, “Every dimension of our lives---from the happy to the tragic to the mundane---is part of a beautiful and purposeful design in which no thread is wrongly woven.” Here he sets forth a beautiful theodicy for believers that seeks to highlight both God's supreme sovereignty while at the same time recognizing the intense suffering we are often allowed to undergo. The key phrase in this sentence is "theodicy for believers." Theodicy is an attempt to answer the question, God why this evil? The particular vantage point that Dr. Zacharius takes is one that presupposes Romans 8:28 - that God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose. This verse is exclusive, not inclusive. It only assures good to those who love God and are called by him to fulfill his purpose.
Mission could be used in the previous sentence in the place of purpose. God's purpose for us is his mission. God's mission is to bless the world through his people. God has set his affections on us so that through us, he can use our lives to reveals who he is. We are the fabric he uses to weave a tapestry of grace.
When I consider these thoughts, a poem, whose author chose to remain anonymous, comes to mind:
When God wants to drill a man And thrill a man And skill a man. When God wants to mold a man To play the noblest part; When He yearns with all His heart To create so great and bold a man That all the world shall be amazed, Watch His methods, watch His ways! How He ruthlessly perfects Whom He royally elects! How He hammers him and hurts him, And with mighty blows converts him. Into trial shapes of clay which Only God understands; While his tortured heart is crying And he lifts beseeching hands! How He bends but never breaks When his good He undertakes; How He uses whom He chooses, And which every purpose fuses him; By every act induces him To try His splendor out – God knows what He's about.