Getting Focused

Walking down the street, Jesus saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked, "Rabbi, who sinned: this man or his parents, causing him to be born blind?"
Jesus said, "You're asking the wrong question. You're looking for someone to blame. There is no cause-effect here. Look instead for what God can do."
John 9:1-5 Message Version


This week I read this passage as part of my daily Bible reading. I love this passage of scripture for many reasons but this is the first time I have read this scripture in the Message version of the Bible. This version spoke new things to me.

When something bad happens, it is often human tendency to figure out the why of a situation. Why did my loved one get sick? Die? Get into a horrible accident? Be born with a condition? Some people blame God for their situation, some see a situation as a test from God, some blame Satan, some blame the sin of the person, some blame the sin of their ancestors, and on and on. Ten different people can come up with 10 different reasons why something bad happened. It can be confusing. Some people get stuck here in the 'why' spot trying to figure out what happened, who to blame, and possibly how that can get them out of it.

I know I have in the past.

It took me years to get past trying to understand why a God serving Christian could have a baby born with Down syndrome and a serious heart defect that caused congestive heart failure. Everyone gave me their opinion. To some, I had sinned and caused this to come. Other said Satan was to blame for the situation, trying to steal my baby's health away. Others told me Jaycee was a gift from God that He wanted me to have. One kind soul told me my daughter "had a demon" in her causing her Down syndrome.

I learned that as I struggled to understand why Jaycee was born with a syndrome and health problems, other Christians, who knew us, were struggling too. As I write this, I want the readers to understand that we were upset with the fact that Jaycee was going to have a harder life, physically, mentally, and medically, than any other child.

Asking questions and trying to understand why isn't horrible unless it impedes your relationship with God. If you get stuck in the blaming and the reasoning and don't move on, then that's a problem. Just as Jesus said, you're asking the wrong question. Your focus is on the wrong part. Look instead what God can do.

The bottom line is....no matter what situation you are in, God is the solution, the peace, and the source of joy. Focus on what God can do in your situation.

In the past few weeks, I have had a few people ask in my presence, "Why would Jaycee have to go through this sickness? I don't understand it."

I don't understand all of it either, but I have found an "answer" that satisfies my soul that maybe I'll get into in another post. I'm not upset that Jaycee got really sick recently. A few years ago, I probably would have been upset. I would have questioned God and been upset that He didn't prevent it from happening. But, not this time. All I feel is gratefulness that God was able to supernaturally bring Jaycee from the brink of death back to life and back home to us again.

God did something in my situation. I'm not looking for someone to blame. I'm not going to lose my focus.