What do you see?
There are times when life is hard. I know that's no revelation to anyone, but I have been meditating on John 9:3 for a week or two and I thought I'd share my thoughts with you about the really "big" things. It's one thing to have seasons of life that are hard. It's another to face difficulties that are tragic (or at least border on the tragic). And let's be honest; we tend to question the difficulties even when they are not tragic.
Some things are just bad and we honestly struggle to understand them. I remember Ida, who had contracted cancer. Her teenage daughter and 2 younger children were part of the youth ministry I led in our first church. Ida was in her 30's. She went home to be with the Lord during the time we were there and I struggled to minister to her kids during that painful time. I loved on them and stood by them, but explanations weren't readily available. I remember Kevin, who was stuck by lightning at a church picnic. He was never the same. His wife went from wife and mom of 3 very young children to mom of 3 young children and care-giver to a husband who needed her to do everything for him. Struggles of people you love or struggles in your own personal life are coming to your mind as you read those examples.
When things like this appear to be bad without any hoping of finding a "silver lining," what should our perspective be? Where can we look for help to negotiate such troubled waters? What we tend to do is try to figure out the cause. We're like the disciples in John 9. They immediately wanted to know who was to blame for the situation. "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" What happened that this terrible circumstance came about? Something is clearly wrong with this situation; who is at fault? This situation is impossible; how can anything good come out of it?
Jesus' answer to the disciples challenges me. "It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him." I need to be honest enough to stop for a minute and meditate on that. The man was blind from birth and Jesus now tells his disciples that there was a purpose behind it; that God's power would be displayed in his life...on that day. Of course, the remainder of his life was certainly a testimony to God's power, and God would be seen larger in the life of that man and his family (and to many people around them, including the Pharisees) from that day on. But the whole of his life was spent in darkness until that day before the drama of a miraculous healing would change his life forever. It takes time to let that sink in.
If it is true that my life is to be lived for the glory of God, then I must accept that there will be times when the circumstances of my life are uncomfortable (at best), but that God can and will use them for his glory. If it really is not about me, then I am free to stop looking for what went "wrong" when the tragic occurs.
The challenge is to stop looking at the impossibilities, the problems, the reasons for blame or despair and starting looking for the purpose; start looking for the opportunity of God. In the final outcome; while the circumstances and results may differ, the purpose is always the same: that the works of God may be displayed in my life.
That's not easy for me to hear when I'm in the middle of the storm, but it is essential for me to bury deep down in my soul when times are not so hard. Then God has the opportunity to remind me of it when the storm comes.
Let's start watching for the purpose of things rather than the cause of things. It naturally directs our attention to our Heavenly Father...which is of course, the best place to look.
Some things are just bad and we honestly struggle to understand them. I remember Ida, who had contracted cancer. Her teenage daughter and 2 younger children were part of the youth ministry I led in our first church. Ida was in her 30's. She went home to be with the Lord during the time we were there and I struggled to minister to her kids during that painful time. I loved on them and stood by them, but explanations weren't readily available. I remember Kevin, who was stuck by lightning at a church picnic. He was never the same. His wife went from wife and mom of 3 very young children to mom of 3 young children and care-giver to a husband who needed her to do everything for him. Struggles of people you love or struggles in your own personal life are coming to your mind as you read those examples.
When things like this appear to be bad without any hoping of finding a "silver lining," what should our perspective be? Where can we look for help to negotiate such troubled waters? What we tend to do is try to figure out the cause. We're like the disciples in John 9. They immediately wanted to know who was to blame for the situation. "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" What happened that this terrible circumstance came about? Something is clearly wrong with this situation; who is at fault? This situation is impossible; how can anything good come out of it?
Jesus' answer to the disciples challenges me. "It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him." I need to be honest enough to stop for a minute and meditate on that. The man was blind from birth and Jesus now tells his disciples that there was a purpose behind it; that God's power would be displayed in his life...on that day. Of course, the remainder of his life was certainly a testimony to God's power, and God would be seen larger in the life of that man and his family (and to many people around them, including the Pharisees) from that day on. But the whole of his life was spent in darkness until that day before the drama of a miraculous healing would change his life forever. It takes time to let that sink in.
If it is true that my life is to be lived for the glory of God, then I must accept that there will be times when the circumstances of my life are uncomfortable (at best), but that God can and will use them for his glory. If it really is not about me, then I am free to stop looking for what went "wrong" when the tragic occurs.
The challenge is to stop looking at the impossibilities, the problems, the reasons for blame or despair and starting looking for the purpose; start looking for the opportunity of God. In the final outcome; while the circumstances and results may differ, the purpose is always the same: that the works of God may be displayed in my life.
That's not easy for me to hear when I'm in the middle of the storm, but it is essential for me to bury deep down in my soul when times are not so hard. Then God has the opportunity to remind me of it when the storm comes.
Let's start watching for the purpose of things rather than the cause of things. It naturally directs our attention to our Heavenly Father...which is of course, the best place to look.
Thanks, Pastor
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