We are afraid of becoming who we are truly meant to be. Read that slowly to yourself again…We are afraid of becoming who we are truly meant to be. I wonder what that would look like for you? I'm not immune. Reflecting on my life, I see patterns that should have changed by now. It's a lot like watching movies that have sequels to them. The characters may change but the storyline stays the same, and yet we're surprised when history repeats again. How did we get here again? What is the one common theme throughout this replay of my life? Hmmm. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize it's us. But, why haven't I changed it up? Why is this a repeat of a year ago, 5 years ago, 10 years ago? If we reflect with an honest heart, are we too comfortable by our situations to change them? Change is a challenge. Change shakes things up. Change means we do without something that has become habitual. It has become part of who we are. We rely on it. We go to it. We feed off it. I remind myself of the story about the disabled man at the Pool called Bethesda. This man had lay there for 38 years. 38 Years…I'm nearly 41. I cannot imagine everyday of my life having to rely on others to take me down to this pool. He lay there there in the sun, hoping for a chance to be made well. You see, the rumor was an angel came to stir the water and the first one in would be healed. For 38 years people got ahead of him. For 38 years he waited every day, hoping that would be his day. Can we consider that for a moment in our lives? As I said, I'm nearly 41. Where in my life am I disabled? Where have I waited everyday and hoped today would be my day for change? Where am I beyond paralyzed in my own life that I need others to help me? I am afraid of becoming who I really am. I lay at the feet of my Savior. I cry out, "when will my life change?" " when will I soar in this place?" "when will things get better?" Like the man at the pool, we feel helpless, hopeless, and burdened. We wait everyday. We look to others. Why do we think it'll be any different today compared to the last 38 years? But today there's a stranger here. We look up from the ground and He is standing over us. He looks down at us and asks, "Do you want to get well?" Who is asking this question? We've been coming here for 38 years. We've shown up. We've lied here waiting….And then it hits us. We've lied here waiting. Have we made efforts to get well? Have we just shown up? Have we just relied on others? Is it time for another strategy? Time to get out of our comfort zones. Time to live. So when we're lying at our pool called Bethesda and Jesus asks us "Do you want to get well?" Consider why he's asking. Then know that we don't have to wait for someone to come help us into the pool or even for the rumored angel to come and stir the waters. We have our mighty Savior we can trust to make us well, but we have to be willing to do our part too. We have to be willing to leave the security of our comfort zones. We have to leave the security of always needing other people to get us there. We have to be brave enough to see who we are truly meant to be. We have to be willing to get up, pick up our mats and walk.
"Then Jesus said to him, "Get up! Pick up your mat and
walk." At once the man was cured; he picked up his
mat and walked."
John 5:8-9
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