What’s The Best That Could Happen?

By Meghan Ryan Asbury

In the dim glow of a 2:00 a.m. feeding, my phone lit up my face as I searched yet another symptom. We welcomed our first baby at the beginning of this year, and I found myself frantically running to ChatGPT with every concern or question. Fueled by anxiousness (and probably postpartum hormones), I looked for instant answers as I feared worst-case scenarios.

W hether you are a new mom or not, it’s easy to fall into this way of thinking: living afraid and trying to find ways to avoid our worst fears coming true. Whether it’s health concerns, relational uncertainty, unknown futures, or a season of waiting, there is something to fear around every corner if we go looking for it. In our modern age, it’s easy to turn to quick internet searches for solutions and relief rather than turning to the God of all wisdom, especially when we’ve previously felt like we were met with silence when we prayed for answers.

I’ll confess, sometimes I struggle with verses like Romans 8:28: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” It’s not because I don’t believe God keeps all His promises, but because I’ve witnessed too many circumstances when people who love Him have suffered from things I would never call “good.” Some examples include walking through yet another friend having a miscarriage, or getting the text that another family is in a medical crisis. We can all agree that none of those seems good.

It’s easy to live in a constant state of, “What’s the worst that could happen?” That’s where I found myself during pregnancy and the early days of motherhood. But during one of those late-night spirals, my husband challenged me to flip the script. Instead of assuming the worst possible scenario, what if I assumed the best?

When he suggested that, my first reaction was resistance. It felt like my job to make sure everything with our daughter was okay. The more information I had, the better. And while that is partially true, I think the heart posture of not fearing the worst was something I needed desperately in those sleep-deprived nights. I needed to let go of trying to control everything because the reality was that no matter how hard I tried, there would still be things beyond my control.

The question becomes: How do we do that? We can’t control everything—but we also can’t just “stop worrying.” So what do we actually do?

It starts with remembering this: because Jesus died and rose again, we have the greatest gift of all—hope. In the midst of a broken world, we can know with confidence that no matter what we have or will face, God keeps all His promises, even the one in Romans 8:28. He is working all things for good. This is true both right now and for eternity. “Good” doesn’t mean life is easy or comfortable; it means God is still working.

Instead of feeding our fears, we can:

Pause before we react,

Pray before we search,

And replace “What if everything goes wrong?” with “What if it’s all okay?”

As I’ve continued to navigate the early days of motherhood, those fears have not gone away. But when they arise, I am practicing that new mindset. I am pausing, praying, and asking, “What’s the best that could happen?” I’m not avoiding what’s hard or confusing; I’m choosing to see the possible positive outcomes over the negative ones. It’s an act of faith to believe that God really has gone before me, and that He is with me. No matter what happens, I can trust in Him because He has kept every promise He’s made.

Friend, what if we took God at His word and reminded ourselves He really is working all things out for good? What if we dared to live from a posture of faith that said, “The best is yet to come,” because it is? God has given us the gift of hope beyond whatever we fear. Together, let’s cling to the fact that He keeps all of His promises.

— V —

---

Meghan Ryan Asbury is an author and speaker who is passionate about helping people discover and live out their God-given callings. She has worked in international ministries as well as with Proverbs 31 Ministries. When she’s not surrounded by friends, you can usually find her reading a book or enjoying the great outdoors. A 30-A beach girl, born and raised, she and her husband now reside in Nashville. Her first book, You Are Not Behind: Building a Life You Love Without Having Everything You Want, is available wherever books are sold. You can connect with her on Instagram @meghanryanasbury and at AlwaysMeghan.com.