I’ve been reading a book called “The Grave Robber” by Mark Batterson. In the book he is talking about 7 miracles that Christ performed in the book of John. I’m up to the part where Jesus healed the invalid by the pool of Bethesda. I wanted to share an excerpt from this chapter.
“Jesus asks the invalid, ‘Do you want to be well?’ On one level, the question seems a little unkind, doesn’t it? Like adding insult to injury. Of course he wants to get well! But that is not an assumption Jesus made. He knew better. You cannot help someone who doesn’t want help, no matter how badly they need it… This question gets to some deep-seated issues. For the invalid, getting well meant getting a job. It meant actually using his healed legs. It meant a new level of responsibility to society. Like every blessing from God, it comes with the burden of responsibility to steward it.”
Over my years of ministry I have done a lot of counseling. One of the first questions I ask the people that come to me for help is, “Are you willing to work at getting well?” You see in order to have a change in our lives it takes us working and doing what is required. Think about it this way, you have broken your leg. It is in a cast for a long time. There comes one day when the cast comes off and you take that first step. Your leg feels weak and it hurts almost to the point of passing out. I know that feeling because that is what I felt after my back surgery. It took days, weeks, and even months to get the strength back in my back. Now suppose that instead of working those muscles you just quit because it was too hard. What would happen to the muscles in your leg? You would eventually lose the use of that leg. The same is true in our Spiritual lives. There are Spiritual muscles that we need to exercise on a regular basis. You want to hear the voice of God speaking? You have to spend time in His Word listening. You have to spend time on your knees in prayer. You have to listen!!!! That takes work.
There is another aspect of our lives that I hear all the time. We let our illnesses or circumstances define who we are. Let me share with you another excerpt for the book.
“The fact that the invalid is called invalid is no insignificant detail… This term is used throughout Scripture with a wide variety of nameless people–the prostitutes with the alabaster jar, the man born blind, the woman caught in the act of adultery, to name a few. they are synonymous with their sin, with their sickness. But there is a lesson to be learned: DON’T LET WHATS WRONG WITH YOU DEFINE YOU.” That’s not who you are!!!! Our culture has a tendency to reduce people to labels. Not only is that unhealthy and unholy, it’s also dehumanizing. Don’t let anyone label you besides the One who made you.”
Here are some of the ways the God describes those you have put their trust and faith in Christ:
You are more than a conqueror. You are the apple of God’s eye. You are sought after. You are joint heir with Christ. You are a child of God.
There are so many more titles, “labels, that Scripture gives us as who we are in God’s eyes. The key is the question that we started with, “Do you want to be well?” You see the choice is yours. You have to believe that you are who God says you are. You have to believe that you can be all that God says you can be. Let me leave you with this thought, “Do you want to be well?” Kind of a silly question, but it is so true. Until next time claim and be all that God would have you be. Love to all
Pastor Rob
