When You Can’t, Jesus Can

“It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “He was born blind so the power of God could be seen in him.” John 9:3

Because he was born blind, his career choices were extremely limited. In his day people didn’t have much use for blind people, so his only real option was to beg for a living. It was humiliating. Most people who saw him assumed that God was punishing him, either for his sins or for his parents’ sins. He knew he had done nothing to deserve this, but that didn’t change the fact that he had no options in life.

The truth is, neither the blind man’s sin nor his parents’ sin had anything to do with his condition. On the contrary, his condition was a matter of divine appointment. In other words, the course of this man’s life was designed to intersect with the life of Jesus.

Jesus used the blind man’s plight to display his own power. Healing really got people’s attention, and he often used it to put his power on display and to show people that he had the authority to forgive sins. That was exactly what was going to happen the day this blind man met Jesus.

The man’s blindness caused people to ask why it happened. But the miracle of his restored sight caused even more people to ask, “Who is this man who caused your healing?”

If you are willing, Jesus can use your deficiencies and setbacks to put himself on display in your life. Your physical shortcomings, your emotional scars, and your lack of ability are all areas where Jesus can make himself known.

When you cannot, Jesus can. When you are weak, Jesus is strong. The thing you may wish was different about your life may be the very thing Jesus wants to use in order to do his greatest work.

Lord, help me see the value of my life, especially in the areas that don’t work the way I think they should.