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Question from a friend of WordTruth Ministries:>>> Recently I found out through medical analysis that I was born intersexed -- although I am physically a female and was raised as such, genetically I am male and therefore lack certain characteristics such as the ability to reproduce. My husband and I have been informed that -- because medically I am male -- we can not have children together.I am not sure what to make of this. I have always turned to God in times of need, but now it pains me to say I do not know if God is there for me. There are some who have said my husband and I are in a homosexual relationship, and we are both lost on how to respond. Others say I am a transsexual now. I have always felt and acted as a woman, and abided by the rules of my faith to the best of my ability. Now I wonder why this has happened, even with the knowledge that I am not capable of understanding God's great plan. I feel like I am being punished for following my love of God and his
word. Have I committed an abomination? Did I bring this upon myself? I have
not been able to find any good scripture that speaks to me, and wonder what
to do or think now. WordTruth.Com Response:
My heart and prayers go out to you. I applaud your courage in
asking this question. This is quite an unusual revelation to
find out as an adult. From your closing questions, I can see
you are struggling with your
relationship with
God and other people. This is perfectly understandable.
You have every right be confused, angry, anxious, and even
doubting.
In such confusing times, it is important to go back to the
foundation of your faith. Let's put some faith issues in
perspective that we KNOW to be true - and then work from there.
This may or may not be very basic or simple to you - but stick
with it. I think it is necessary to set down these general
truths first as the backdrop to the specifics of your situation:
Jesus said: "For God so loved the world that He gave His One and Only Son [Jesus Christ], that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16, NIV). 1. God loves you no matter who you are.
It is so important to keep this truth at the forefront of how we
think of ourselves and our place in this world. It doesn't
matter if you are
Osama Bin Laden, God loves you because you are His
special creation. I cringe when I hear people talk about having
low self-esteem. If you really accept the truth of God's word,
then John 3:16 is the cure for low self-esteem. No matter what
any human may think, including yourself, the God who created all
things created you and loves
you unconditionally. Nothing and no one can ever
change that.
2. God's love was so great that He gave up His Son for you.
God does not just say that He loves you - He proved it. His
actions spoke much louder than words as the birth of His Son
became the focal point of human history. His shocking death and
subsequent resurrection became the turning point of human
history. On the cross, Jesus paid the complete price for human
sin - past, present, and future (1 Peter 3:18). So there is no
sin you have committed or will commit that will change what
happened on the cross 2,000 years ago.
3. God's love provides you with a life worth living.
Eternal life is not just for the future. Jesus said,
"Now this is
eternal life: that they may know you, the one true God, and
Jesus Christ whom you have sent" (John 17:3, NIV).
Eternal life is a
never-ending love relationship with the God who created
you. If you have placed your faith in the
LORD Jesus Christ,
the Bible says you have eternal life - that is, an eternal
relationship with the Creator. Because of this never-ending
love relationship, you have a special place and purpose in all
the universe. That is what makes your life worth living - not
the circumstances which change daily nor the feelings that go up
and down with the circumstances. But the assurance of eternal
life with Christ.
Now, having set forth that foundation, what about your
condition? How are we to understand this in light of God's
awesome love?
4. Because of corporate sin (not your individual sin), the whole creation has been cursed.
When Adam and Eve first sinned, one of the many consequences is
that the whole creation was subjected to a curse (Genesis 3).
The world in which we live has many beautiful aspects to it.
But recent devastating hurricanes remind us that there is
ugliness in the world as well. It is not functioning as God
originally designed it. The curse on the creation is not
because of your individual sin but a collective curse on all
humanity. Nevertheless, it impacts people in many ways. One of
these consequences is genetic aberrations.
People are born every day with genetic deficiencies. Most of
them are harmless. Some of them are not. One of my children,
in fact, was born with a severe immune system deficiency that is
caused by a
genetic defect. He has spent most of his life in and out
of doctor's offices and hospitals. Yet, by the
grace of God,
he works and goes to school.
Apparently, you have been diagnosed with an unusual genetic
abnormality. My limited research into the "intersexed"
condition suggests that 1 in 2,000 have this to one degree or
another. It is more common than I thought. But as I said, most
genetic mistakes are harmless. Your genetic makeup includes
a mistake that has had an impact on your life in regard to
children.
Is this a surprise to God? Does He sit back and wonder what
happens in the womb when child is conceived? Of course not!
God knows everything. But He does not cause everyting. He, in
His unsurpassed wisdom, has given us certain freedoms to make
choices. And, in His unsurpassed wisdom, He allows certain
circumstances to transpire that we cannot understand - this side
of Heaven.
Your condition is well-known to God. In spite of the confusion
and hurt you may feel, He has a plan for your life just as
certainly as He had for the
Apostle Paul.
"For we are God's workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in
advance for us to do" (Ephesians 2:10, NIV).
God will use you in ways you cannot imagine - if you will
continue to follow Christ.
As a practical matter, you may choose to keep this condition
private. You are under no obligation to share this with the
church or work or anyone. Then again, if you choose to make it
public, you must be prepared to face the negative and/or
ignorant reactions of people - like telling you that your
marriage is a homosexual relationship. You are physically a
female and have been raised that way. Conduct yourself as a
godly woman and God will honor your
life of faith.
I am sorry that you are unable to have children. If you and
your husband are so inclined, there are many opportunities at
home and abroad to adopt children. With the surprising
revelation you have had, now may not be the time to think about
this. But in time, you may decide that loving and raising an
adopted child is a viable option. Just trust the LORD and
follow His will.
May God bless you with His wisdom and the courage to follow Jesus! Rev. Randy Lariscy :-) |
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