LAGOM

Silas took me to lunch at a Swedish restaurant in Gothenburg called Lagom. Lagom has no single English word that matches its meaning. Essentially, it translates “enough, sufficient, not too much or too little—just right”.

Meditation

2 Samuel 22:31-33—As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him. For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God? It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.

God’s grace is lagom. The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 12:7-9:

To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

In Jesus we have the grace to be “just right”. But to understand this we must have eyes that see beyond our circumstances.

I recently learned that a good friend, Dave, dropped dead of a heart attack. Two weeks prior to dying he had a physical and was pronounced fit. While out jogging, his heart failed. Dave left behind a wife and four children. Another friend unexpectedly lost his job. A woman we know was diagnosed with cancer. How is grace lagom when a wife is widowed with a family to raise by herself? How is God lagom for children now without a father? What about those times when life feels more like a landslide than a sturdy bridge?

King David sang the verses in the meditation above despite the fact that he had already lost three sons, was betrayed by those closest to him, and constantly endured criticism and the attack of enemies. Somehow he recognized that God gave him strength and made his way lagom.

There is much about life and circumstances we cannot understand. Yet, I know with certainty that no matter how desperate my situation may be, if I trust in the Lord, He gives me the strength to proceed. He makes my way lagom. If we think that just right means everything is smooth and to our liking we’re mistaken. It does not mean we will avoid suffering or repeatedly win. It means that God’s will is always right. Because of Who He is and what He promises us, we can ride the worst storms and know that under His wings we are lagom. Something to think about . . . in reveration.

Inspiration

Beware of mental quibbling over the word perfect. Perfection does not mean the full maturity and consummation of one’s powers, but perfect fitness for doing the will of God (compare Philippians 3:12-15).—Oswald Chambers in If You Will Be Perfect