This week, a fellow Christian managed to do something that nothing this sinful world has been able to do to me since I became a Christ-follower. She made me feel less than rather than equal to her and to everyone else in our Bible study. Without going into details, I’ll just say that she sees me in my current condition as what I am not rather than what I am.
After spending time with her this week, I felt bad. I wasn’t sure why. The morning after we spoke in our discussion group, I realized that she saw me as handicapped. She pointed out the others in our group as capable of doing XYZ. She carefully avoided including me in the group, though honestly, there was nothing about the tasks that were beyond me either physically or mentally. Unfortunately, this was just the latest in a series of comments she has made to diminish me.
My guess is, that as a nurse for many decades, she has come to see individuals with health issues by what they can’t do. I’ve even heard that nurses and doctors begin to refer to patients by their conditions and not by their names.
I’m hoping that the problem with her is just her profession and not something personal. I don’t believe it is personal but, regardless of the reasons, it still made me feel bad. For the first time in my life, I began to see myself as what I was not. To think of all the things that I could not do. To view myself as a handicapped individual in need of help to get anything accomplished.
I had a couple of terrible days and then, this morning, I realized that she had it all wrong. The areas where I am a little more challenged don’t define me. They are the areas which will cause me to work harder at what I can do and to look for new things and new ways that I can express myself and, more importantly, to help others.
It wasn’t brilliance on my own part that led me to this understanding. Instead, God, through the Holy Spirit, reassured me that God does not make mistakes. We are just who we were always meant to be and are here to do the work that God set out for us before he even created the universe.
God doesn’t look for the most brilliant, the most gifted or the best looking or even the individuals with the most wealth. Actually, it is the reverse. God is looking for ordinary folk or those who society sees as less than ordinary to do his work.
There are some with brilliance, gifts, good looks and wealth that are also called but those are in the minority. He is looking for the low so that they can raise Jesus high above themselves. This will prove to this sinful and dying world that God can do miraculous things with those of us who are Christ-followers and who are doing what God has called them to do.
When someone has all the gifts, then others will look at them and say, they are doing XYZ because of their own efforts and not anything else. However, when those of us who are viewed as someone challenged or less important or even simply ordinary folk, do something extraordinary, the world has to sit up and take notice. They have to question how it is possible that someone so low can do something so important.
There is only one answer and it is one that the world does not want to see or hear of. God uses the lowly of his followers to do his work, so that the world cannot say it is by the individuals own power. At their cores, they have to acknowledge that a higher power is in control. When the individual in question gives glory to God for the work he is doing through them, then the world cannot hide from the truth any longer.
So, while it is sad that a fellow Christian has so little understanding of how God works with his followers, it was a wonderful lesson for me in what miracles God has been working in me and, hopefully, through me as well.
I am not handicapped, I am not less than, I am not incapable. I am a child of God and, in his sight at least, I am beautiful and wonderful and exactly as he planned I would be at this time and at this place in my life.
If you feel like you are not up to the standards of the world, be assured that Jesus loves you and wants you just as you are at this very moment. He doesn’t expect you to be better or to somehow work yourself up to his level. Simply put, that will never happen.
We are sinners and he is perfect. He doesn’t expect perfection. He didn’t die for perfect people. He died for sinners. It was his willing sacrifice of his life and his triumphant resurrection, which provides a way for sinners to receive salvation, a pardon for their sins and eternal life one day.
The sacrifice has already been made. All that is left is for you to receive the gift of it, to acknowledge Jesus as Lord and Savior and to ask him for his help in living your life the way he wants you to do so.
When you do that and you ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit, you will begin to do the work you were born into this world to do.
Don’t let any person in this world try to define you. Only your creator, God, can do so. Jesus made you as you are and he loves you more than his own life.
1 Corinthians 1:26-30
Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.
But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things — and the things that are not — to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.
It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God — that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.