Our world
discriminates the ugly1 and the disabled. 2 But the Bible
does not discriminate them. The Bible says, “Behold,
children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward.” (Psalm
127: 3, NASB). So our question could be organized as:
A. God
creates life (Isaiah 42: 5; Job 33: 4; Colossians 1: 16; Revelation 4: 11).
B. If
children are a gift from God, must we also consider ugly and disabled children
as a gift from God?
C. Gifts
are to be good (Matthew 7: 11; James 1: 17; Romans 6: 23; Ephesians 2: 8), so
how can an ugly or a disabled child be a good gift from God?
We may consider
this theme from a theoretical standpoint, for we may not be exposed to
disability in our lives. But there are those who are either disabled or are circumstantially
mandated to nurture the disabled. Those exposed to ugliness and disability could
question God more vigorously, for to live with ugliness or disability is never
easy.
Within this
context, the term ‘differently abled’ is gradually contesting the term
‘disabled.’ The disabled could be differently abled if we consider the lives of
Albert Einstein, Sir Isaac Newton, Mozart, Charles Darwin etc. These famous
personalities may have been on the autism spectrum; however their disability
did not limit them from achieving greatness.3
Whatever
said and done, it is difficult to live with any kind of disability. Hence we
could question the fact of ugly or disabled children being a gift from God, for
it seems that God intentionally created these children with certain
disabilities.
So how do
we reconcile the fact that ugly and disabled children are God’s gift to
mankind?
Understanding the
Fall
A proper
understanding of the ‘fall’ would enable us to overcome pain and live
victoriously. Since Adam and Eve
rejected and sinned against God through their disobedience, God altered the dynamics
of our earthly living (Genesis 3: 16-19). Thus pain is innate to our earthly
existence.
If pain is innate
to our earthly existence, then it is futile to question pain. Similarly, it is
futile to question God.
Questioning
God will not transform ugliness to beauty or disability to ability. Questioning
God exposes our lack of understanding of the Bible.
God Is Not Obligated
To Anyone
God is not
obligated to offer a painless life to a Christian. In other words, HIS gifts
need not always be ‘good’ according to our definition of good. We define beauty
as good; we do not define ugliness as good. Similarly we do not define disability
as good.
God is not
a goodness vending machine through the nonexistence of pain. Significantly, God
will offer goodness even through pain. An early comprehension of this truth
would enable us to lead a victorious Christian life.
According
to HIS wisdom, God allows pain in our lives. Pain manifests through disability,
ugliness, death etc.
Certain
painful situations can be overcome e.g. headache can be cured or a
malfunctioning kidney could be surgically removed, and normal life could be
lived. However, other painful situations cannot be overcome e.g. amputated limb
does not grow. During painful instances, normal lives - lives lived in the
comforting confines of a normal body or mind - cannot be lived.
So God is
not obligated to offer a painless life to any individual. In fact, God, through
HIS wisdom and justice will allow painful situations to invade lives of certain
people.
What then
is the purpose of God’s gifts? How could gifts that bring pain into our lives
be good gifts?
In order to
live victoriously, we should understand the purpose behind God’s gifts.
To Praise &
Glorify God Is Chief End Of Man
Let’s get to
the basics.
Although life
is a gift of God, why did God create life?
The chief
end of man is to praise and glorify God always (1 Chronicles 16: 23 - 29; Psalm
86: 12; Matthew 5: 16; 1 Corinthians 6: 20, 10: 31 etc.).
Glorifying
God always is to glorify God during successes and failures. We are to glorify
God during goodness and pain. This is the purpose of our lives.
Consider Lazarus’
death and resurrection; the Lord taught that Lazarus’ sickness and death is for
God’s glory (John 11: 4). The Bible is replete with such instances that pain
and suffering is for God’s glory (cf. John 9: 2-3; Exodus 9: 13-16 etc.). The Bible teaches us that we should praise and
glorify God during moments of joy and sorrow.
Therefore, God
should be glorified when a child is born. We are also mandated to nurture the
child so that he/she glorifies God.
If God is
to be glorified always, then God should be glorified by a child who is normal and
a child who is disabled. But in order for this to happen, the parents should
glorify God when they are gifted with a healthy child or when they are gifted
with an unhealthy or disabled or ugly child.
If parents
glorify God during moments of joy and sorrow, then the child would also glorify
God during joyous or sorrowful moments.
Thus the
Bible establishes the most important truth of a Christian life - to glorify God
always – be it through a healthy or a disabled child.
Significantly,
goodness of God’s gift is only realized when God is glorified. If God is not
glorified, then the life that does not glorify God cannot be a good life. A
healthy life that does not glorify God is not a good life.
Therefore,
a healthy life is not necessarily a good life or a healthy child need not be a
good gift from God.
Any child, be
it healthy or unhealthy, is a good gift from God since it has the potential to
glorify God always. But goodness of the gift is realized when that healthy or
unhealthy life glorifies God.
God Gives & Cares
God does
not give and abandon us; instead HE gives and cares for us. HE cares us
naturally - through family, friends, medical care etc., and HE cares for us
supernaturally by providing divine strength, wisdom, peace, comfort, and
encouragement to our weary spirit and soul.
If we seek
God, then God enables us to glorify HIM always. Those who have honestly sought
God while under terrible trials and tribulations will vouch for the existential
fact that God cares for the weary and downtrodden (cf. Isaiah 40: 29 &
Matthew 11: 28).
Hence God’s
care during trials and tribulations is as much experienced in the practical
realm as it is read and assimilated in the theoretical realm.
Protect God’s Gifts
Thus far,
two central biblical imperatives have been established:
1. God should
be glorified always. God is the Heavenly Father for all mankind, since HE is
the creator and sustainer. Life is to be lived to glorify God always.
2. Every
gift is a good gift since every life has the potency to glorify God in every
situation of life – good or bad notwithstanding. A life would be a good life
only when God is glorified during moments of goodness and pain.
Therefore,
every gift of God should be protected by us – be it a healthy or an unhealthy
child. We should not discriminate the disabled or the ugly. But we should
protect the disabled and the ugly so that they glorify God through their
ugliness and disability.
In
conclusion, God could be glorified by people who are normal and disabled.
Ugliness or disability is not a means to reject God. In fact, disability or
adversity should carry us closer to God, for it is only God who can comfort us
naturally and supernaturally.
Every child
born into this world is a good gift from God. We are obligated to care and
nurture every life that God creates, and by the grace of God, we can. God would
help us care for everyone – the healthy and the disabled – as long as we seek
God to do HIS perfect and pleasing will.
So may we
seek God and glorify HIM always and may we nurture those around us to praise
and glorify God. Amen.
Endnotes:
1 http://nymag.com/news/intelligencer/the-ugliness-penalty-2011-8/
&
http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1906642,00.html
2 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ableism
3 http://autismmythbusters.com/general-public/famous-autistic-people/
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