The Touch of the Master's Hand- THE BEAUTY OF THE BENT

If you believe in God as your Creator, what do we believe about how He has created you and me?  When did He put His Master's Touch on our life?  When did He create our bent in life?  Some people would argue that a human fetus is not a viable life until the baby exits the mother's womb.  I believe there are misguided Christians that agree with this.  But I also believe that this point of view was originated by the evolutionist who will not accept God as the Creator.  As a Christian we must understand that this perspective contradicts the scripture above.  The above scripture speaks of a child being "knitted together" in our mother's womb.  There is another statement in the same passage about what God knits together.  It says this work of God is wonderful and that we are wonderfully made.  Do you believe this?  If you do then it will begin to bring into clarity the perversity of any argument against God's design in your life.  It will also help you to see the beauty in you and everyone that God has created.

I believe there is a lot of conflict with the belief system of many Christians today.  There is conflict, for they do not know whom to believe or what to believe.  Do they go along with a socially and political correct position that undermines the Biblical explanation above, or do they stand firm on their faith in God's word?  The politically correct position offers an easy way out with an unwanted or unloved child.  It offers an easy way out with the responsibility to care for a child that was an unwanted conception.  It offers an easy way out for a parent who conceives a child that is likely to have special needs, and is unwanted.  It is an easy way out for these people, but not the child.  It is important for all Christians to ask God what He wants with this person He has created, rather than assuming His role and think we know better.

Who represents this child who is about to be aborted?  Who represents God and His magnificent design work in that life from the time of conception to his or her first and last days on this earth?  Who can determine a child's bent toward being heavy or tall or short or skinny or one color or another is wrong, and this person can be qualified to make that observation?  Who says what is beautiful or ugly or normal or not, and if deformed a child is not worthy of life?  Who determines that?  Can another human being create laws and perspectives and liberties that go against God's ways ever expect God to bless their acts?  Who is it that can stand before the Holy God who says of Himself, "Wonderful are My works!" and say to Him that He made a mistake? Who can do this?  I don't think any of us are qualified for that determination.  But we do it all the time don't we?  How often do we look at people and offer a critical word against their weight, their hair, their intelligence, or numerous external determinations and unfavorably compare them to what some people say is ideal?  Can we look inside the heart of a physically disfigured child and see a beauty that only God can see?  Has He put something beautiful in all His creatures that we do not see?  I have come to believe that He has.

As Influencers, I would challenge all of us, beginning with myself, to start looking at the beauty in people rather than their insufficiencies, for God has put some wonderful aspects in all of His creation.  With some people we have to look real hard.  But there is still something that needs to be recognized about the Master's Touch.   When we choose to recognize the hidden beauty we see and affirm this person, it may create a bridge from God to that person through our life.  We can actually become a conduit of God's love to help someone who is likely very beat up with life and people, to see God's love for them.  We can be the Influencer to that person the Holy Spirit has put us before, if we will love the bent of the creature He formed rather than call it a mistake.

Much of our life is lived by being told to go against the bent of our life.  I will write on that tomorrow and how this happens.  In many ways we are malformed as a result.  Much of our parenting goes the same way, if we try to reshape our children against a bent that we see in him or her.   We see it and dislike it, for we think it is in some way wrong and we try to change it.  Let me suggest we look at it differently.  Try looking at a bent in a child or even in an adult as God's design and a thing of beauty if it is gently shaped toward God.  The world has damaged and disfigured that bent, but God can make it beautiful.  Like a tree that is bent in a certain direction, we can damage the tree, even break it if we try to make it go where we want it to go, and not follow the natural bent God created.  When God creates a bent in us He creates a thing of beauty when it is shaped toward Him.  We can join Him in His work, and take out what this world has tried to deform, by seeing God's beauty in all people and be used to shape that person toward Jesus.