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.
(Romans 8:28 NLT)
Not everything is for our benefit, we are free to make choices that lead away from God however, if we truly love God even when we fall to temptation and the devil means to harm and separate us from God our Heavenly Father can and will turn it around to work out for our own good. Even before we know God He reaches out to show us that we are loved and there is a better way. Remember Paul was Saul, you see people need to know their own need for God, they need to see where control over their own lives leads to, this is done by the law God gave Moses first and in Saul’s situation it took him being knocked to the ground and blinded until he was ready to truly see. He received a new name and new life but he did not forget what God had brought him out of, instead it was used to compel him toward the goal God had set for him. The point is God will get our attention and we will come face to face with a choice. If we make the decision to not change for a while God will keep showing up as our plans naturally fail and each time we will be presented with a choice but if we continue to turn from God eventually our heart grows hard and we stop hearing God’s call. However, If we decide at that point God knows the way better than we do change will come and then His forgiveness breaks the chains that bind but all that is past is not wasted but instead our weakness becomes His strength. Whatever you struggled with, whatever you have been delivered from, whatever you have battled and won that is where you will be compelled the most when speaking to others about what the Lord has done. Yes all things in this life do work together for our good if we love God and follow His calling for our lives. God does not take junk, meaning He wants our whole heart not just part. What it does not mean is that we have to clean ourselves up before coming to Him, we only need recognize we can’t do it on our own and He is good and true to complete the work He has started in us.
