It's All Good!

Marathon runners in motion. Image courtesy of Nature.com

Imagine this: you spend months preparing for a marathon. You watch what you eat, stretch, and hydrate daily—all in preparation for the big day. When it finally arrives, you give it everything you’ve got, excited that all your hard work is finally paying off. You might even think, “Hey, I could place in the top five!”

You approach the finish line, only to find out you’re one of the last to finish. But guess what? You finished.

Let me ask you: Does that mean you failed the race? Was all your hard work in vain? Absolutely not. It’s estimated that only 0.1%–0.17% of the global population finishes a marathon each year. So no—your effort wasn’t wasted. In fact, it’s all good.

Now, let’s shift gears and look at the life of Jesus. He faced hostility, rejection, and even plotting from religious leaders. In Mark 11:28, they tried to set Him up, demanding, “By what authority are you doing all these things [teaching and performing miracles]? Who gave you the right to do them?” (NLT).

How ironic—the Judge of the nations was now being judged by the ruling body of the nation. Yet, in spite of the criticism, it was all good. Jesus knew His mission: to come to earth as the Son of Man and complete the will of God. He understood that their criticism was part of the setup for Him to redeem the sins of the world. They were simply instruments in the greater plan—for the Son of Man to give His life as a ransom for many.

They also questioned Him about paying taxes to Caesar: “Now tell us—is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay them, or shouldn’t we?” (Mark 12:14–15, NLT). But Jesus saw right through them. He responded, “Why are you trying to trap me?... Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God” (Mark 12:15–17).

Doesn’t that stir something inside of you? How could these religious leaders challenge the authority of the Savior of the world? Still, Jesus stayed focused. He knew why He came and continued about His Father’s business.

In the same way, we can follow Jesus’ example when life feels heavy. We may ask, “Why am I being mistreated?” or “Why does everything feel like it’s falling apart?” But I encourage you today—do what Jesus did and remember: it’s all good.

Nothing we go through is wasted or in vain. It can serve a greater purpose or teach us valuable lessons. We shouldn’t ignore the hard things in our lives, but we can take a higher perspective—knowing that Jesus already suffered on our behalf so we could walk in victory. He was wounded so that the mental, emotional, and physical wounds we experience wouldn’t have power over us.

Romans 8:28 says it beautifully: “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”

Life isn’t always rosy—but nothing is wasted. Trust God. Hold fast to His promises. As you run your race, allow Him to work in you as you continue to trust in Him.