What do you want?

In John Chapter 5....

Why do you think Jesus asked a disabled man "Do you want to get well?" That reminds me of those questions my parents use to ask like: "Do you want a spanking?" or "Do you want to go to bed without dinner?" or "Do you want to give up your allowance?" Seriously? Are those even real questions?

So why would Jesus ask that? Surely this man, after THIRTY EIGHT years, WANTS to get well!

The mans answer really surprises me (from the message) "Sir, when the water is stirred, I don't have anybody to put me in the pool. By the time I get there, somebody else is already in."

The next thing you read is that Jesus healed him. WAIT!!! WHAT??? WHY???

Here we've got this man, who for THIRTY EIGHT YEARS.....THIRTY EIGHT.....could never get in the pool because there was always someone in front of him? Oh come on! I've seen pity parties....but this one takes the cake! You can't tell me that for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, that this man was passed up and nobody would help him!!!

But it's true! And not only that, God healed him anyway. Without question!

How many excuses do I have to make? I've been in the pool of healing water! But the water is not the magic. The magic begins with my ultimate belief in the power of God. It's me giving up control of my own life and letting him do the work.


Fear is a constant battle with me. I don't know where I heard it but once I was told that FEAR stood for False Expectaions Appearing Real. Why would be put expectations on anyone? Is that me trying to control someone else's reactions? I think so. If we are so afraid of the outcome, then we will blame others for our own struggles and have a false sense of reality. Oh my! Reality is REAL! It is our beliefts that become distorted and cause us to think crazy!!
When the only thing that we can do is change our reaction to someone else's actions, then that's somthing we can be in control over. God can help us control our minds so they don't become filled with unnecessary garbage and they can be filled with His spirit. That is all that matters.

Sometimes we don't know when it is Him talking to us. The disabled man in John didn't know who it was because Jesus went out into the crowd. But when the man saw him again, Jesus said "See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you."

Jesus didn't beat around the bush. He simply said "Stop sinning!" it's that easy!

So I can choose my pity party, choose to be hungry, choose to be in control(which is really out of control), and stay this way for 38 years....or I can decide that I am going to get help and pick up my mat and walk.

hummmm.....whatever did I do with that bag to carry this mat in?