One day there was a man who was walking beside a river whose current was flowing rapidly along, and as the man looked across the river he saw a scorpion helplessly being carried away down the river on a leaf. So, the man reached out his hand to rescue the helpless scorpion, but when he grabbed the leaf the scorpion sunk his stinger into the man's hand. After a few seconds of writhing in pain the man again reached out his hand to rescue the helpless scorpion. As the man reached the leaf, the scorpion again venomously stung the man. In the distance the man heard the voice of another man saying, "you dumb man why do you continue to reach out to the scorpion when he is only going to sting you." With this the man whose eyes filled with compassion turned and said to the other man, "just because it is the scorpion's nature to sting does not change the fact that it is my nature to save." (taken from Brennan Manning's book, The Signature of Jesus).
In conversations today many well-meaning Christians (myself included) will say to someone. I will give you one more chance, but if you hurt me this time, then you are on your own. I refuse to help you until you help yourself. However, this seems to be contrary to God's working throughout history. Yes, it is our nature to hurt, to run, to abuse, to doubt, to fear, to stress, to scream, to cry, etc. However, just because it is our nature to do those things does not change the fact that it is God's nature to save!
May God give us His nature to save.
Wednesday, August 27, 2003