Blessings and Curses

By all outward appearances, Kenny George has been blessed with the perfect basketball player’s body. The University of North Carolina – Asheville athlete stands 7 feet 7 inches tall. He weighs in at 360 pounds. His wingspan, fingertip to fingertip, is nearly 8.5 feet. Special order basketball shoes have to be made for his size 26 feet.

But the same physical attributes which offer such potential blessings can also be a curse. His extreme size has put greater stress on his joints and has led to several injuries. Common, everyday tasks that we take for granted are a trial for him. Another writer notes that “…he is too tall to fit into a driver’s seat, so he does not have a driver’s license and must ask friends for rides. When the semester ends, his father drives the 650 miles from Chicago, his hometown, to Asheville so George does not have to squeeze into an airplane seat. “I don’t hate it, but there are times when I wish that I weren’t so tall,” George said.” (Anne Katherine Clemmons, nytimes.com, January 9, 2008).

Christians with roots in the Restoration Movement have been blessed with a strong emphasis on biblical truth. The Bible certainly stresses the importance of truth (Jn. 17:17; 8:32) and, thus, we were taught early to love, honor and respect the truth. We have always placed a premium on learning and knowing the Word of God. We have expected all teaching to be grounded in “book, chapter and verse.” Kept in proper perspective, these are all blessings.

But a strong emphasis on truth can also become a curse. How so? An emphasis on truth can become a curse when it is used as a club to bludgeon other believers. An emphasis on truth can become a curse when it fosters ungodly words and attitudes. An emphasis on truth can become a curse when it blinds us to other facets of our mission for God.

We must remember that the Scriptures are not our source of life, but they do point us to the Life-Giver (John 5:39-40).

God loves you!
Mike