In Christ, Nothing is Wasted

What Does It Mean That “All Things Work Together for Good”?

Romans 8:28 is one of those verses we cling to in our suffering:
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.”

But let’s be honest—there are days when this verse feels hard to believe.

What does “all things” really mean?
What kind of good could possibly come from the heartbreak we carry?

Let’s look at what Paul says just a few verses earlier in Romans 8:20-23:

“For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.”

In other words, the entire world is groaning under the weight of sin and brokenness.
Creation isn’t as it should be.
We feel it in our bones, in our grief, in our empty arms.

Even as believers—those who carry the Spirit of the living God—we still groan.

I’m a follower of Jesus. I believe He is good.
And still, I suffer. And so do you.
We are not exempt from pain, not immune to heartbreak.

Then Paul continues in Romans 8:26:

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”

There it is: we know we are suffering.
But we don’t always know how to pray.
We don’t always understand what God is doing.

And in those moments, when our words fail, the Spirit steps in and carries our hearts straight to the Father.

Then, finally, we get to that familiar verse:

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good…”

There’s that “we know” again.
We know we’re hurting.
We know we don’t have the answers.

But we also know this: God is not wasting our pain.

This verse isn’t saying that everything is good. It’s not.
Losing my baby was not good. It was devastating.
I remember crying out to God through sobs, “Where is the good? I can’t see it. How could this possibly be part of something good?”

And in those raw moments, I was reminded—

Romans 8:28 isn’t promising that all things are good.
It’s promising that in Christ, nothing is wasted.

Death is still the enemy (1 Corinthians 15:26).
But it will not have the final word.

God is working—even in the anger, even in the sadness, even in the silence.
Even in the ache we carry every single day.
He is shaping something eternal. Something redemptive. Something beautiful.

Maybe something we won’t fully see this side of heaven.
But He is always working. He’s never stagnant. And He has a plan.

So if you’re walking through the groaning, if you’re asking through tears, “Where is the good?”—know this:

Your grief is not unseen.
Your story is not forgotten.
And your pain is not the end.

You are deeply loved by the God who promises to redeem everything for those who are His.
And He is already doing it—even now.

Keep holding on,
Jennie

Jennie is the Executive Director for Hope Mommies. She and her husband Brian live in Washington State and have four children together— Trenton, Paige who has been in Heaven with Jesus since 2010, Mason, and Cora. If you were to knock on her front door today, you’d find her in something comfortable drinking a hot cup of tea, while trying to figure out how to balance all the things that make up a life. She enjoys spending time in God’s word, fresh flowers, board games with her kids, cooking, and evening walks in her neighborhood. She adores being a new creation in Christ and prays she reflects Him well on this earth.