Basic Questions About Self-Acceptance (part 9)

By Bill Gothard

“Why does God allow physical or mental deformities to mar the life and happiness of certain people?”

INCOMPLETE FRAME OF REFERENCE WHICH PROMPTED THE QUESTION:

OUR NATURAL THINKING is to believe that beauty and talent are essential for happiness. But it is often the most beautiful and talented people that are the most unhappy. We naturally think that there is an “international ideal” against which physical, mental, parental and social variations can be measured.

UNDERLYING PRINCIPLES REQUIRED TO SEE GOD’S PERSPECTIVE:

Happiness is a by-product of responding to life from God’s perspective. It is not determined by our circumstances but by our responses to them. God is fashioning an “inward ideal” composed of eight specific qualities summarized in Mathew 5.

“If God “prescribes” us before we are born, what about man’s intervention which actually affects the child’s appearance or abilities?”

OUR NATURAL THINKING SAYS that any “scar” or deformity is evil and unjust on God’s part for His allowing it to happen. “And His disciples asked Him, saying, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’” (John 9:2).

GOD’S PERPECTIVE SAYS that He is shaping us and building character qualities within us that we wouldn’t otherwise have.

* HUMILITY - Chain of Command
* MEEKNESS - Yielding Rights
* MOURNING - Grieving with God
* MERCY - Forgiving all Offenders
* PURITY - Meditation
* SPIRITUAL HUNGER - Prayer and Fasting
* PEACEMAKING - Clear Conscience
* SUFFERING - Sources of Irritation
(See Philippians 2:5).

“To what degree should we cover up our scars and defects?”

OUR NATURAL THINKING SAYS that God owes every person a full, happy, healthy life, and that if He does anything to shorten it, then He is being unfair and is to be blamed. (See Luke 13:1-5 and Matthew 20:1-16)

We seem to think that scars or defects will repel people from us and detract from our happiness
in life.

GOD’S PERPECTIVE: He uses outward “scars” and “defects” to develop inward qualities, regardless of whether the “scars” were directly caused by God, or others, or us. (See Isaiah 61:2,3 on giving beauty for ashes)

Before covering up any “defects” we must attach significant meaning to them. Make them reminders of God’s ownership and motivations to finish inward qualities. Any concealment of scars or defects must be done on the basis that it detracts attention from communication of inward qualities.

Self-worth increases as we make significant contributions to the body of Christ. (Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4:25; 5:30)

This series is continued in my next blog…