Disability in the Bible: Life Lessons for Us AllSample
Moses & Calling
I am …
Unsuitable – not fitting or appropriate for a specific purpose
Deficient – lacking in some way; not up to standard
Mediocre – average; not very good
Not good enough.
Be real. You can fall into the habit of calling yourself any of those things. But guess what God says about you?
You are …
Called – created with a specific task or job that is uniquely your own
Chosen – meant to be; thought of with intention and regard
Capable – with God and community.
God chose and called everyone with a specific purpose. When He formed you in your mother’s womb, He formed you with care and intention, knowing the plans He had laid out for you.
But sometimes you may let your inner critic’s voice become louder than God’s truth.
Moses had this same issue. Yes, Moses—the guy who took on Pharaoh, parted the Red Sea, and transcribed the Ten Commandments—struggled with accepting and believing in his calling.
Moses had some speech challenges. He could have had dysphasia or a severe stutter. If Moses were alive today, he would have spent many hours in speech therapy. He said of himself, “I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled” (Exodus 4:10 NLT).
When God asked Moses to go to Egypt and lead the Hebrew people, Moses worried about his eloquence and how he spoke. He focused on His worries and what he saw as a deficiency—when it was God who made him that way in the first place (Exodus 4:11).
Fun fact: When God calls you, He remembers how He made you.
Bonus fun fact: Each of us is called by God to do the good work He planned for us.
So, you’re called. Called to display the love and power of Christ through your life and actions in the way only you can. And if you’re called, you’re qualified. Stop disqualifying yourself. Stop letting others disqualify you because of your differences. And start remembering who God says you are.
Consider: When do you tend to disqualify yourself from doing a good work for God? When do you tend to disqualify others? How can you begin to look at yourself and others through God’s eyes, instead?
Scripture
About this Plan
The Bible is full of people to emulate, not all of them “able-bodied.” Representation is important, and God gets that! If you or someone you love lives with a disability or difference, this Bible Plan may help you see the way God has chosen to use differences of every kind to accomplish His will. Read on to learn from five different and disabled people in the Bible.
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