February 15th, 2022

Privilege or Punishment

John 9:3 NIV

"Neither this man nor his parents sinned,' said Jesus, 'but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.' "

      There have been many times in my life when I have looked at my troubles and thought to myself, "where did I go wrong?" Or "what did I do to deserve this?" When my depression was at its peak, and my bipolar disorder was out of control, I often thought that my life had panned out that way because of something I'd done wrong. When a blind man's path crossed with Jesus', his disciples asked him the same question: who sinned that this man has received such a punishment as this? In those days, many people believed that we could be punished for a sin we have committed while within the womb. Others believed that his blindness could've been a result of God punishing his parents for their sins. However, Jesus had another suggestion.

      Because Jesus died for our sins, we no longer face the punishment of sin. Jesus served our penalty once and for all, so that we could live our lives closer to God (1 Peter 3:18). This being said, Jesus explained to his disciples that this man's blindness served a greater purpose. That his blindness was to show other's God's work in his life. When people saw that this man could see all of a sudden, they were amazed. Because Jesus healed this man, they knew that this had to be a work of God. They asked, "How can a sinner perform such signs?" (v. 16). Just because we are dealt some sort of affliction, doesn't mean it is out of punishment for our sins. While God will correct, he does not punish like we see in the Old Testament (Hebrews 12:10). Our sufferings serve a greater purpose, and most times, that purpose is so that God can make a statement. He will use us as a testament of his love. Because I suffered deeply for years with my mental health illness, I was able to see just how mighty God is. Just how merciful he is when we let him. If I had not faced the years of affliction that I did, not only myself, but others would've never seen how God could change me from the inside out.

Are you living hopeful for the good work being done with in you?