There Is No One To Blame When Life Happens

(photo courtesy: Google images)

“While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”- John 9:5; NIV

I was shopping the other day and I overheard someone next to me in the aisle speaking on her phone (I wasn’t eavesdropping; she seriously was talking loud enough that you could hear her three aisles over). She was arguing with someone about something and she said “What did I do to deserve this?!” as she hung up the phone. I was walking by as she was ending her conversation, I wanted to talk to her, but I felt like she really wasn’t in the mood for some stranger in Wal-Mart to start talking to her in the snack food section.

Anyway, the phrase she used got me thinking, “What did she do? Did she do anything? If she did, how can she fix it, especially if God has allowed stuff to already happen?”

I think we all have asked this question at some point, maybe not like she did, but something similar. By asking this question, we just might be putting undo pressure on ourselves.

Before I go any further, we need to understand that we might do something to cause a consequence, but it’s the idea that we do something to “deserve” a pain of some sort that I want to address.

This is what the disciples were wrestling with when they were walking with Jesus and he interacted with a man born blind in John 9. The disciples asked “Who sinned? Was it this guy or did his parents mess it up for him?” Alright, they might not have said it that way, but that’s how it comes across to me.

Jesus’ response is great! He said “Neither this man nor his parents sinned”. This is a freeing statement, perhaps for many of us. The man’s parents had nothing to do with his issues. The man himself didn’t do anything either to deserve the ailment. It was a life circumstance that happened, but ultimately all things we face in life are meant to be used for the glory of He who has given us life!

After healing the man of blindness, he went back home seeing. The Pharisees wanted to figure out what happened and asked how he was able to see, but he could only answer that Jesus had done the work. The Pharisees did not like the answer he gave and told him, “You were steeped in sin at birth” (John 9:34).

This very story reveals the amazing reason of Christ coming to this earth. He came to reconcile us to our Creator through His actions. He served a man in need. A man who had bought into the lie that his pain was due to something he or his parents had done.

Right now, we have a God saying to us, “Yes, you have struggles and sorrow. Some of the stuff you deal with has to do with poor decisions on your part, but you do not deserve to live like this. I have sent my Son to relieve you of your sorrow, but you need to let Him do the work!”

The harsh reality is, we will also have people in our life that want to point out our brokenness and remind us of our faults. They will say, “Ok, you’ve been healed. Right! Remember yesterday when you were passed out due to drinking too much? Or what about all your sexual exploits? You’re steeped in sin, there’s no way you can have healing.”

When this happens, just as the blind man did, point out the fact that the healing is real and there is nothing that can disprove what has happened.

Christ came to reveal the glory of God. Your healing is His glory at work. People will try to knock it down and tell you your pain is deserved, but remember that Jesus came to heal the sick and lift up those who have been told they can’t be saved.

Your pain is not deserved, but neither is God’s grace. Yet, He sent it through His Son in order to lift us out of our suffering.

You didn’t do anything to deserve your sorrow, but Christ gave up everything to relieve you of it.

We are all healed. May we accept the fact that life happens, but walk in the truth that healing has come through the life and death of Jesus.

QUESTION: What hinders you from accepting the complete healing of Christ?