Today, find a way to bless those who need a new heart. Even if people are influenced by the nasty spirit of this age, give them a smile and they will know it’s from God.
Ever tried to help a disabled person and gotten your hand bit?
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and I know several people who have tried their best to help a person with a disability [like someone who uses a wheelchair], and, well, it didn’t turn out like they had hoped. One man told me of his experience in a medical office building. He saw a guy in a wheelchair wheeling up to a doctor’s office door. And he thought he’d be helpful by offering to open the door for him. But instead, the person in the chair snapped, “I don’t need your help. I can open doors for myself.” Well my friend was stunned, and he backed off with hands up, like saying, “Okay, okay, I’m sorry.” Later, when he told me about the awkward encounter, he concluded with, “Man, that’ll be my last time offering to help somebody in a wheelchair!”
Sadly, incidents like this happen. Because people are people. No, rather, people are sinners, and they will not always react kindly to a helper who wants to lend a hand. And a disabled person is no exception; he’s just like anyone else. They get up on the wrong side of the bed, they have bad days, they’re off their game. And just like your grouchy neighbor or your coworker who never has a kind word to say, some disabled people are the same. Just because you have a disability doesn’t mean you’re a saint. But here’s the thing. And here’s what I told my friend: Christian love covers a multitude of sins: even a multitude of big nasty sins. Jesus tells us to forgive seventy times seven; that means we are required to show mercy, especially to people who do not know the Lord.
Like, that guy in the wheelchair in the medical office building? He probably is a nonbeliever and embittered about his accident. Or he may feel useless, and so he compensates by running roughshod over others. Whatever the reason, Christians are called to make the extra effort, go the extra mile, and yes, even turn the other cheek. When it comes to making connections with those who have a disability, you might get so tired of trying that you decide to quit. You’re afraid that whatever strategy you use, you’ll be criticized. “You didn’t say the right thing, or you didn’t say it in the right way. And no one wants to be told, ‘You just don’t get it.’” And that’s when we can feel sorry for ourselves and we can say, “Okay, I’ve done my best. I’m through with it.”
But I have a request. And like I told my friend that day: don’t quit trying. Don’t give up. Just take a deep breath, step back, and get another strategy. Start over. But never quit. Too many people with disabilities like that grumpy man in the medical building, too many people need Jesus. They are lost in the darkness of this present age. They have a heart of stone like it says in Ezekiel, and they need a heart of flesh. They are dead in their trespasses and need to be alive in Christ. So, bless those who persecute you with snide remarks or being rude. And, hey, this is a lesson for all of us. It’s a lesson for any Christian working with or living among people who are influenced by the nasty spirit of this age. And if a disabled person gives you the brushoff? Just say, “Well sir, then have a good rest of your day.” And give him your smile. And you know what? He’ll have to know that that smile is from God. So there are a lot of people out there who have stony hearts. Oh friend, please, find a way to bless those who need a new heart. And those are your hope-filled words for today.
© Joni and Friends