The Works of God

Here in the United States there’s an election happening next week.

During these times I’m very grateful God wrote to us about his sovereignty over leaders:

The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will. Proverbs 21:1

Voting is one of those confounding things in my life.  The stakes, on the one hand, are very high as decisions our elected officials make have an impact on issues of direct consequence to those of us dealing with disability – healthcare, access to education, and parental rights just to name a few.

And there are the issues of literal life and death importance: abortion, infanticide, ‘mercy killing’ and ‘death with dignity.’

On the other hand, in light of eternity, every leader today will someday – soon – just be a footnote in a history book and every decision will have been changed, added to or discarded.

So, I would encourage you to pray, research and vote – and then trust God over all of it!  If God gives us Wednesday morning, no matter how our candidates fared on Tuesday, he will still be sovereign over everything.

Tim Tomlinson, President of Bethlehem College and Seminary, writes a weekly prayer email and always includes a meditation, reflection or devotion.  I found his thoughts this week on the election helpful (you can subscribe to the BCS prayer email here):

Next week the biennial election is upon us. As is usually the case, there is much at stake in this election at all levels of government. As I drive by the hordes of yard signs and billboards, I’m struck by several impulses. First, aside from the higher profile candidates and offices, I don’t really know much about many of the names I’ll see on the ballot on Tuesday–judges, mayors, city council members, county commissioners, etc. Second, I must fight the tendency to despair about the outcome of the election. Third, does it make any difference at all in the long run what I do? Fourth, should a Christian even be concerned about such things?

The first impulse is real, and a challenge to overcome. Even in the Internet era, finding the kind of information which might be helpful (candidates’ stand on key issues–especially local level candidates) is still difficult, as many political candidates have learned the fine art of being vague on controversial issues. However, interest group sites (National Right to Life, etc.) can often be helpful.

The second impulse is harder to overcome because its cause is my momentary lack of faith in the sovereign God of the universe. I need to remind myself regularly that Jesus Christ is the one who holds all authority in his hands.

“For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities–all things were created through him and for him” (Colossians 1:16).

The third impulse is like the second, only more subtle. The answer, of course, is that it does make a difference what I do. The outcome of any given election may not be the one I hoped and voted for, but my participation may affect an election–especially at the local level.

The fourth impulse is clearer, but Christians are divided over this nonetheless. We know that the outcome of an election isn’t going to alter God’s plan for the culmination of history; that isn’t our business–it’s his alone. Instead, we are called to be faithful members, citizens, and participants in this temporary home we call life on earth. This is part of what it means to be in the world, but not of the world. We know the ultimate outcome of all things is in the Lord’s hands. In the meantime, we must be faithful witnesses–even through our voting in elections–to the glory, worth, beauty, and righteousness of Christ Jesus.

May we all put our faith in the sovereign God of the universe, and be at peace in this world.

Amen, Tim.  Thanks for the good word.

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October is officially National Disability Employment Awareness Month.  President Obama included in his official declaration:

Individuals with disabilities are a vital and dynamic part of our Nation, and their contributions have impacted countless lives.  People with disabilities bring immeasurable value to our workplaces, and we will continue to address the challenges to employment that must be overcome.  This month, let us rededicate ourselves to fostering equal access and fair opportunity in our labor force, and to capitalizing on the talent, skills, and rich diversity of all our workers.

I agree whole-heartedly.

But I would also suggest the President, in wanting to make a generous statement about people with disabilities, did not use the word ‘immeasurable’ accurately. The Federal government measures value all the time: gross national product, employment levels, investment in capital and personnel.  We watch these measurements with great interest.

By contrast, God, who creates out of nothing, knits together little human beings for his glory who will have an eternal existence.  Eternity would seem to be more appropriately connected to ‘immeasurable value’ than productivity in any workplace.

In fact, it is that connection to productivity in the workplace that leaves me unsettled.  I know quite a few children who will never be ‘productive’ in terms of their ability to produce an economic benefit to society.  This lack of future benefit combined with alleged certainty about the ‘quality of life’ a child will experience results in some horrendous things – like abortion rates of more than 90% for some disabling conditions.

How can we even begin to make statements about ‘immeasurable value’ in one area of life when these future workers aren’t allowed to be born?

Yes, I’d feel much better about this declaration if the President took a stand on pre-born babies with disabilities having intrinsic value and inherent, God-given dignity.

Please, Mr. President, do more than make declarations about employment for people with disabilities.  Do more than talk about abortion being ‘safe, legal and rare‘ in this country.  Please, tell people to let the children live.

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During the Desiring God National Conference, I had the opportunity to meet in person several people I only knew by their work and their writings. I also had the chance to see some old friends, and even had members of my family attend their first conference.

And the connection was entirely based on loving Jesus, wanting to know him better, and encouraging others to treasure him above all things. It was humbling and beautiful and wonderful.

A highlight was a dinner with friends from far away and close by, all connected by disability in our families.

Ours is a strange fraternity in one sense – we don’t usually choose to join, although I met one young pastor who is pursuing adopting a child with disabilities.

Yet, as I looked around that table, I saw a group of people who had been transformed by God into seeing the strength and majesty of God over disability, helping us daily to persevere in what he has given us to do and profoundly feeling God’s blessing.

So I walk away from this weekend deeply encouraged and excited about what God might be pleased to do with and through our unusual families.

Yes, God is sovereign over disability, and he is entirely good.

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