When he had said this,
he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the
man’s eyes, saying to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent).
Then he went and washed and came back able to see…So for the second time they
called the man who had been blind, and they said to him, “Give glory to God! We
know that this man is a sinner.” He answered, “I do not know whether he is a
sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”
- John 9:6-7, 24-25
One
of the things that has made The Price Is
Right such a beloved game show for decades is its embrace of audience feedback
during the games. Every time a contestant has a choice to make, such as whether
an item should be priced higher or lower than a given amount, both the host and
the contestant engage the studio audience’s advice, inviting them to yell out
what they would do if they were on stage. For a few seconds, the studio is filled
with noise as dozens of people off-camera, all of whom seem certain they’re
right, shout out different numbers. Usually, the contestant plays along with
the premise of audience participation while in actuality just going with their
gut. But occasionally, you’ll see a contestant freeze up in the face of all the
shouting—when confronted with so many different answers all at once, they don’t
know what they’re supposed to think.
Sometimes
you may feel that way about God—with so many differing beliefs, theories,
philosophies, and agendas explaining who He is and what He wants from you, you
start to wonder what you’re supposed to think. Can a God who allows suffering
in the world really be called Savior? In a world that sometimes seems like it’s
spinning out of control, does it make sense to believe in the Lord?
Where
you land on the “big questions” about God takes a lifetime of spiritual growth
and prayer—but as you seek those answers in the thoughts and writings of other
people, it’s important that you never forget your own testimony. We can learn something
from someone in John 9, a man born blind whom Jesus miraculously healed.
Because that healing took place on the Sabbath, the religious leaders of the day
launched an investigation, questioning the man multiple times about what had
happened in the hopes that he might reveal Jesus to be an imposter or a
charlatan. “We know that this man is a sinner,” they said on their second
visit. His response was instructive: “I do no know whether he is a sinner. One
thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”
Every
follower of Jesus Christ has a story to tell, a story of how Jesus rescued them
from sin and brought them into a relationship with God. And your story doesn’t
stop there—you may have stories about times when God’s presence in your life pulled
you out of the depths of temptation or depression, about times when a word from
Scripture pointed you exactly where you needed to go, about how in a moment of
tremendous stress the prayers of a friend brought you peace you couldn’t
explain. Everyone has a story to tell about how God has moved in their life.
And
when the complexities of faith threaten to overwhelm you, when the shouting
from all sides about what you’re supposed to believe has you nearly paralyzed,
it helps to root yourself in your story. Along with the man born blind you can
say, ‘I don’t know all the answers, but one thing I do know: I once was blind,
but now I see.’
There
is great value in learning more about God, in listening and reading and talking
to people who think and believe differently from you—after all, if you never
learn, then you never grow. But when your questions are so overloaded with
answers that the foundation of your faith is rocked, cling to your testimony. Everyone
has a story to tell—don’t lose track of yours.
No comments:
Post a Comment