Romans 9:20 But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’”

This is a question we don’t like to face. We like to set the parameters of discussion, and think that God has to abide by them! Rather than complaining to God about anything, we need to be grateful that He created us at all! From at least one perspective it is quite amusing that mankind would be so full of itself as to complain, when God has created each of us as unique individuals, with unique blessings and purposes. That person you envy doesn’t get to taste some of the blessings that are available to you! As a simple, but actually rather extreme, example, there are countless stories of families that were incredibly blessed to have a congenitally handicapped child. My wife was blessed to have a cousin with Down’s Syndrome, and has many delightful tales of growing up around him. Was he any less valuable, or any less blessed, than her older brother, who got a PhD and went on to head a department at a university? I think not. There are many mysteries that we will never know in this life, and I’m not sure we will care in the next! However, we have Paul’s assurance that, “For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” (1 Corinthians 13:12) To us, we might seem distorted and ugly, but to God, we are beautiful!

I’m a fine one to be talking like this, because I feel like I have gotten an inordinate share of advantages: born into a loving family, high IQ, reasonable appearance, minimal physical issues, and on and on. My wife matches that, with the exception that her medical history could fill a book, and her daily question is not whether she has pain, but what pain does she have? For both of us, our marriage seems to be on a much higher level than that achieved by any of our siblings. Does that mean God loves me more than my wife, or us more than our siblings, or our families more than other families? Not at all! The problem is that we don’t have the mind of God, and we try to evaluate things on the basis of immediate circumstances. As God pointed out to Isaiah, “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9) To go back to Paul’s analogy, it’s very much like a lump of clay questioning the potter’s intentions! I need to rejoice in God’s grace toward me and seek to fulfill His purposes for me, and leave pride out of the picture entirely.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I complain about all sorts of things! Forgive my foolishness. May I indeed be the son and servant You desire, today and every day, for Your glory alone. Thank You. Praise God!