The Works of God

Desiring God’s National Conference, Act the Miracle: God’s Work and Ours in the Mystery of Sanctification, begins on Friday.  All of the plenary sessions will be available live via the web at Desiring God.

In describing the conference earlier this year, David Mathis went to one of Pastor John’s books to describe the importance of this theme:

God’s work in us does not eliminate our work; it enables it. We work because he is the one at work in us. Therefore, the fight for joy is possible because God is fighting for us and through us. All our efforts are owing to his deeper work in and through our willing and working. (John Piper, When I Don’t Desire God, 41).

This is what animates a desire to serve and be served by those living with disabilities!  Because God is at work in us, we see and feel and desire things that are not normal, like including people in our lives, homes and churches that the culture wants to eliminate (at worst) or feels only pity towards (at best).

So, I’m praying that through this conference there might be dozens of churches who ‘see’ disability for the first time, and who understand that God has done something incredible by bringing to them some who live with disability.  Yes, I know it isn’t a conference on disability. But I also know some pretty incredible things happen in people’s lives and hearts on this issue of disability when people see God through the lens of the Bible rather than the lens of the culture.  Would you join me in praying for that to happen?

This also marks my 10th Desiring God conference as an employee with Desiring God.  As I’ve noted before, God brings people together in unusual ways at conferences, and I expect God will do so again.  I know of one pastor who emailed me that he has a story to tell me about how his little church has been blessed through a member with disabilities – and I can’t wait to hear it!