Think Again!

64 • Think Again: Transformation That Yields a Return on God’s Investment

the needy and broken. He is slow to anger and patient in exercising judgment. His kindness leads people to repentance and salvation (Rom. 2.4). When we fail to trust the goodness and provision of the Father, our lives can be ruined. Upon the examination of the many moral failures of well-known people, what they have in common is the false assumption that “God has required me to take care of my own needs.” When a person stops believing that God richly provides, resentment toward God is the inevitable outcome. 32 Therefore, the downfall of respected leaders is not rooted so much in a desire for sex or power, but a lack of trust in the Father’s provision. But you can trust in the Father’s goodness! Despite whatever circumstances you face, Romans 8.35 reminds you that he is with you. Whether you face tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, or sword, no circumstances are beyond God’s redemptive purposes. Despite the attacks of Satan, you can be certain that the Father’s unmerited favor is sufficient for all that you will face (2 Cor. 12.9). Created in His Image The Father demonstrates his philanthropy through the adaptability found in his creation. God designed the amazing ability for life to adapt in a changing environment. This is especially true in the highest of his creation: humankind, the imago dei . Recent scientific research in what is called “epigenetics” has shown how flexible God has made the human brain. Our brain is “neuroplastic,” meaning it can change and grow. 33 The scientific community used to believe that once our brains were damaged, they could not be restored. But now, neuroscience has verified