Thought of the Day !!

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 (NIV)

Jesus comes across a man lying near what many thought was a magical healing pool.  He'd been an invalid for 38 years and was sitting by the pool.  When asked by Jesus if he wanted to get well, his response was that he had no one to help him in the pool.

We may see this question by Jesus as strange.  Obviously the man wanted to be healed, right?  So why would he ask the invalid if his desire was to get well?

Maybe the man didn't really want to be healed.  Maybe he would say he did and even think he did, but deep inside he knew that if he were healed things would change for him.  For at least 38 years he'd been taken care of.  Maybe he wasn't ready to take care of himself.  Maybe it was just plain easier to stay the way he was.

If you think that I'm way off base here, think about people today.  Think about yourself even.  Is there something in your life, physical or spiritual or emotional that needs healing, but for that to happen you would simply have to make a difficult change?  Allow me to use myself as an example.  I realized today in reading this passage that as a diabetic I could help in my own healing process.  I could exercise more and eat better.  But to do this would mean I would have to change my routine.  It would mean that I would have to not give in to the cravings for certain foods that come much too often.  It would mean that I would have to cook more and eat out less.  Let me be very honest with you.  I don't want to do this.  I enjoy foods that are bad for me and don't want to give them up.

I had to take a deep look at myself and decide that if I were to be healed, I must ask for a healing from Jesus.  But if I'm not willing to get well myself, or change to do the proper things, He's not going to heal me.  So this is what I will be working on.  What about you?  Is there something you need to be healed of but just don't really want to let go of?  Are you using foods, unforgiveness, or sarcasm as a crutch?  Do you claim it's just too hard to give up (fill in the blanks).  Is there anything that you find it easier to live with even though you know that your life would be better without it?

The real question is, "Do you want to get well?"  When you come up with the answer, give it to Jesus.

In the love of Christ,

greg