Reciting Our Woes

“Jesus asked him... ‘Do you want to get well?’” John 5:6b

This continues our story from yesterday with the invalid laying by the poolside.  We cannot know how long he had been dragging himself to the side of that pool awaiting a miracle.  We cannot know how many times he could have gotten healed, but the movement forward was more frightening than no movement at all.  What we do know is that when Jesus asked this question the man not only made excuses as to why he couldn’t get healed but seemed to be resentful that others were able to be healed.  ‘I have no one to help me...While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.’  It makes me wonder if he even asked anyone for help or was he too proud.  It makes me wonder if it was just easier to lay by the pool in his self-pity instead of taking some responsibility in his own circumstances.  ‘Do you want to get well?’

So many times in life it is so easy to be that person wallowing in self-pity on our mats.  It is easy to judge others and blame them for our own problems.  I know this because I’ve been this person expecting others to make me feel good, or even resentful for the easy life they seem to have.  You know the routine - a big part of our day is reciting our woes to anyone who will listen.  We sing our blues to anyone with whom we come in contact.  I know one person in particular who simply exhausted me.  It didn’t matter what consideration I gave her in hopes of helping her, there was always an excuse...always something or someone standing in her way...always the victim laying by the pool.  ‘Do you want to get well?’

Life is tough and at some point we all get stuck in our circumstances...our pain...our bitterness...even our boredom.  My Bible study this morning asked some powerful questions regarding our circumstances.  ‘Are you ready to move beyond your misery?  Are you ready to leave your suffering behind?  Are you willing to walk out of the old life and into the new?’  Joanna Weaver, author of Lazarus Awakening then leaves us with some power truths regarding moving away from fear into a life of freedom.  She challenges us with the truth that we cannot live effectively with one foot in the grave and one foot in the new life.  We have to leave where we have been in order to get where we want to go. 

Anything that is a barrier in our spiritual walk is a barrier to our freedom.  Instead of us spending our emotional energy searching for an answer we must first answer the question that Jesus asks, ‘Do we want to get well?’  Once that answer is yes, then He will invite us to join Him in walking to freedom from whatever binds us.