The Relationship between Peace and Gentleness

Recently, our senior pastor spoke to the leadership team of the Latino ministry at our church. After giving us several lessons about leadership he has learned in his 20 years as lead pastor, he told us about a couple of verses of Scripture the Lord has been impressing on him over the past year or so.

The first one he mentioned is Philippians 4:5:

Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 

He went on to raise the question as to whether this gentleness is tied to the peace Paul mentions a couple of verses later in 4:7:

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

I think my pastor is on to something here.

Does Everything Always Turn Out How God Wants?

I recently saw the following statement on Facebook:

If things aren't turning out how you expected, don't worry, they're turning out how God wants. Amen. 

This sounds very spiritual and even pious when you first read it. But does everything really happen because it's "turning out how God wants?"

Did God really desire for a teenage girl, who loves and serves Jesus, to be beaten and raped, and get pregnant as a result?

Is it God's plan that thousands of women and children should be working as sex slaves in the red light districts of Calcutta, India?

Is a young wife and mother of three dying of breast cancer at 30 really God's best intention for that family?