get well

I was reading today in John Chapter 5, when Jesus comes across a man who had been an invalid for 38 years. "When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, 'Do you want to get well?" (John 5:6) My first reaction was, "Why would Jesus ask that? And then my second reaction was to really think about that question. Why would Jesus ask that? It seems incomprehensible to me that the man would not want to get well but, truthfully, there are times we become comfortable in our "illness". Now I am not necessarily talking about a physical illness but a spiritual one.

Is there something you need healing from, a change you know needs to occur in your life? Are you resisting that healing for some reason? Are you blocking the work of the Holy Spirit in your life?

Why do we do this? One reason I think we do this is we fear change. We know what to expect in our current state. We may not like it, but we know it and it's comfortable. Another reason may be we actually like the drama our situation creates. It puts the focus exactly where we love it to be, on ourselves. Or maybe we just don't want to do the hard work we know is involved in making change happen.

So I have a question for you today - "Do you want to get well?" Whatever it is, whatever is going on in your life right now. Take some time to think about that before I tell you the rest of the story.

So the man gave a reply that in my life might sound something like this - But I don't have anyone to help me and everytime I try I get knocked back down again. But Jesus told the man, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk." (John 5:8b) Now those of you who know me or have heard me speak may know how much I love these stories in the Bible when Jesus tells people who have been incapacitated for a long time to get up and walk. This took no small effort on the part of the man. He had to trust Jesus had healed him. He had to listen to his words, take them into his heart and put them into practice by standing up and walking.

Will you do the same today? Will I do the same? Do we want to get well? TRULY??? What if that means coming out of your comfort zone? What if that means no more complaining? What if that means you have to rescind all the invitations to your pity party? What if it means you have some hard work to do? What if it means you have to trust Jesus and get up and walk?

I will be completely honest with you - part of the reason I have not been writing this blog consistently is some part of me has not wanted to get well. My life has been a series of changes the past 3 years as we moved from the west coast to the east coast and back to the west coast again. My relationship with God has not been what it was 3 years ago when I had a strong force of women friends backing me up and encouraging me daily. Writing this blog makes me confront my part in that relationship and I have not been wanting to do that. It takes hard work and frankly, I have been quite comfortable taking the easy road. But this question really spoke to me today and I DO want to get well. I want that same intimacy with my savior I had then and I think I am finally ready to get up and walk!!!!

Do you want to get well?