He Made the Lame to be Lame

It’s a rare day when I see someone that causes my heart to go out to him or her just by seeing him or her. Maybe it’s because of my own love of self, or I don’t often see people with any kind of disability or disfigurement. Typically those with physical or mental disabilities cause my heart to be rattled.

Here at the singles retreat, there is a guy who (I believe) has cerebral palsy. Questions come to mind: Did he do anything to deserve lifelong bondage to a wheel chair? Did his parents’ sin make him this way?

The answer, of course, is no.

Jesus and the disciples talked about this sort of situation one time:

As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth.

And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. –John 9:1-3 (ESV)

So the bottom line is this:

I have no reason to be sorry for someone whom God is glorifying Himself with. The best thing Jesus could do for the man was heal his eyes. Although we may not be able to heal a person with blindness or cerebral palsy, we should do our best for those who haven’t been given a “normal” life.

Is It Worth Talking About?

Well, is it?

You know all those things you have such a wealth of knowledge of? All those things that you are have mastered?

Most of us think we have the skinny on what the Bible has to say. I am one of those people.

This is the issue. After I’m done talking to you about your theological persuasion I have no idea how it influences your walk with God. You believe this, that, and the other, and I have no idea how you put into practice what you claim to believe.

Talk to me about how your theology influences your view of God and relationship to Him.

Here’s a hypothetical, bad converstation: The crazed Arminian says, “I believe in free will! I think that God loves everyone, and everyone gets a choice! Calvinism is heresy!” After this kind of ridiculous jargon I (the flaming Calvinist) tend to respond in anger or frustration. Something like this: “Shut up, Arminian.”

Here’s a hypothetical, good conversation: The (still) crazed Arminian says, “I believe in free will. I’m thankful that God has given us a choice. This causes me to have a true passion to reach souls for Christ.” I (still a flaming Calvinist) say, “Dude, I think that’s great. We do have our disagreements, but I’m thankful that is how your theology influences your day-to-day.”

The End.