Made for the Glory of God

READY

“...This happened so the power of God could be seen in him...” -- John 9:3

SET

The multi medal-winning Paralympic swimmer Daniel Dias from Brazil has said publicly: “I haven’t always accepted my disability. Sometimes I questioned God. I kept asking ‘Why? Why me?’ When I went to school, I was different. The children would stare at me and I would feel embarrassed. I was called names, like ’Cripple’ and that hurt me as a child.”

In John Chapter 9, we see Jesus’ disciples struggling with the issue of disability. Coming across a man who was born blind they ask Jesus a question about it. In response, Jesus says, “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him.” The Bible is clear in its teaching that God has created every human being for His glory.

Being born with a disability of some kind is just another way of being human--being made in God’s image and being made to bring Him glory. No matter how differently-abled we are, God created us to live our lives in a way that makes Him look more like the greatness and the infinite worth that He is. God is sovereign over our birth, over our coming into this world. In Psalm 139:13, each of us can restate without exception: “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb."

Looking back and reflecting upon his life and upon his athletic career as a Paralympic swimmer, Daniel Dias has said, "It’s funny when I look in the mirror I don’t see a disabled person; I see God’s creation. Through these achievements, I’m beginning to understand why God made me this way. The main thing is to serve Him and to live this life as a follower of Christ. Because all these achievements will fade away but the love of Christ will never fade away. Swimming was God’s way of telling me: This is your gift; use it to speak of me."

GO

• Are there some aspects of your appearance, your created form, that you wish were different in some way?
• Have you asked God in prayer to help show you how to bring glory to Him just as you are, just as He has made you?

WORKOUT

Psalm 139; Exodus 4:10-11; Isaiah 55:9; Proverbs 3:5-6

OVERTIME

“Heavenly Father, my Creator and Sustainer, I thank You that You long for me, Your beloved child, to share with You my deepest questions. And so Lord I do that now; I bring to You my real self with all my questioning and insecurities. Thank You for hearing my heart’s cries. Amen.”

Steve Jones

Steve has been serving for many years as a chaplain to a wheelchair rugby team in Wales, Europe. He has also served as a tournament chaplain at several Paralympics and all ability sport World Championships. In 2019 he trained as a Goalball coach (Goalball is a Paralympic sport for blind and visually-impaired athletes), and now coaches a team in the south of his country.