Do You Want To Get Well?

A man who had been unable to walk for decades wallowed in misery on his pallet. No one would help him. All was hopeless. Jesus stopped and asked him a very poignant question.

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)

Maybe there is something not so pleasant in your life. Yet you have resigned yourself to the fact that it is what it is. It may be a weight problem, a dead-end job, your teenagers’ rebellious nature, your spouse’s inability to bend, your sibling’s addiction.  You’ve thrown up your hands and screamed to the heavens, “I give up.” 

You are right. You should give it up—to God. The situation will not change unless your attitude towards it can. That requires action on your part. Like the invalid for almost forty years, we have to be willing to allow God’s power into our lives. Jesus challenged the man, and so He challenges us, with the question – do you really want things to change, or are you getting too much mileage out of your misery?

Is your pain getting you the attention and sympathy you desire and reinforcing your negative view?  Like the man on the pallet, often times we bend our perceptions to match our expectations. We think nobody like us, so we act obnoxiously to ensure they won’t. We can’t save money, so we impulsively spend to confirm that fact.  We hate our job, so we make sure we do it poorly, expecting the boss to yell at us.

Change requires effort, and possibly endurance. The healing method may not be instantaneous. That doesn’t mean it will be less miraculous. God may have purpose in the process: learning lessons for you— or the person you are handing over to Him—and habits to unlearn.

One thing is for sure: it will definitely require faith. But, God will provide that as well if you only ask and in all honesty proclaim that, yes, you want to get well.

Dearest Lord, help us release the negative attitudes that debilitate us and block our ability to appreciate all You wish to do for us in our lives. You will satisfy our needs, but first we must change our view of them. Help us reach the point where we are willing to change so we can be cured of whatever t is that is preventing us from fully finding joy in You. Amen.

TAKE ACTION

Take time to really look at the negative and seemingly hopeless thing in your life. Are you too attached to it defining your life, or are you ready to give it to God? Can you trust Him to help you make the change?