Romans 5:3-5: “We rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us…”
Bill Porter accepted who he was, but rejected the world’s verdict on his life. Because of his cerebral palsy, which made it difficult for him to speak clearly, to walk and to use his right arm, the social services labeled him ‘unemployable’. But Bill refused to accept the option of being on government disability for the rest of his life. And in the heart-warming film ‘Door to Door’, his sheer stubbornness and force of will meant that eventually he was given a job by a firm with a range of household products. He hobbled from house to house for ten miles a day, battling his constant pain and weakness, and somehow overcame his speech impediment to communicate and sell his wares. When he made a sale, he couldn’t even hold a pen so the customer had to fill out the form. Somehow, he became the company’s top salesman – first in that city, then in the region, and finally in the entire country. This ‘unemployable’ broken man who could hardly walk or talk made a career for himself as a door-to-door salesmen for forty years!
We all face situations where the deck seems to be stacked against us. Bill Porter’s life encourages us to reject the temptation to give up, to be discouraged, or to lose hope. And no matter how insurmountable the obstacles may appear, we have something far greater than Bill’s courageous example on which to base our confidence – we have the promises of God to rely on and his presence and his power at work in our lives.
Note the progression in the above verse: “suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us.” Stand tall today, even if you’re limping, confident that God’s “power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Lord, the only verdict I choose to accept on my life today is the one you give. Use me for your glory. Amen!
Leave a Reply