Afraid to Change

When Jesus saw him stretched out by the pool and knew how long he had been there, he said, "Do you want to get well?" John 5:6

The man Jesus is talking with has been an invalid for 38 years and asking a question about his desire to get well might seem a little ridiculous. After all, who wouldn't want to be healed from a lifelong illness? You would think the man would be (figuratively) jumping at the opportunity so that he could (literally) jump into a different way of life. Apparently, Jesus felt the need to check this man's motives before doing anything.

How would we answer this question if Jesus asked us? Maybe we think it would be easier to just keep complaining about the state of our life or to make excuses for our current circumstances. Believing this won't change anything in a positive way. 

If we want to make things better we actually have to do something about it. This man didn't heal himself, but he had to be willing to let Jesus heal him. Are we willing to let God into our lives enough to bring the healing we keep saying we need?  Or do we just want to have something to complain about without making any effort towards lasting change?

Restoration

One of the characteristics of God that I find most appealing is His incredible desire to restore. It's a powerfully attractive quality as we discover the investment of God's energy in bringing us back from the dark side of self-inflicted damage, desperation, and sickness. The truth is that God has always been in the restoration business-it's the way He has told the tale of who He is from the beginning. 

The key to being restored isn't only found in God's willingness however. There has to be a readiness on our part to submit to God's work in bringing us back to a point of being right. Far too often we become so content with our state of sickness and brokenness that we are unwilling to have that removed. The change that healing will bring to our present reality frightens us and so we reject the perfect healing that God is ready to bring. It's a sad circumstance when we have accepted this wrecked condition as the height of the life we strive for. 

Being made right isn't just a reflection of God's ability to heal, but also our submission to His way for our life. It's the healing of our dependency that brings the greatest freedom.

Speed It Up

When I was working in athletic training there was always a lot of pressure to get athletes back on the playing field as soon as possible. This was a shared desire among coaches, athletes, parents, administration, and even the athletic training staff. One of the most common questions was, "What can you do to speed up the healing process?" The truth is that you can't speed up the natural process of healing. What you can do is create optimal conditions for the body to heal itself. You can work to remove obstacles that slow down the natural process and in turn set the athlete's body up for success. 

When we suffer emotional, mental, or spiritual damage the same principle applies. We want to be healed from this trauma right away, but there is always a process we must go through. 

What should we do to remove obstacles to healing? 

• Work actively towards forgiveness
• Practice persistent & consistent prayer
• Have accountability with people we trust
• Immerse ourselves in Scripture
• Confess & repent our sins

While we can't necessarily speed up healing, we can work to eliminate things that will impede our forward progress.

Super Powers

When I was a kid, I liked to play the superhero game. Running around with a cape tied over my shoulders I would pretend that I had incredible powers to save the world. When picking which powers I had there were always some that were more popular than others. The ability to fly was always near the top of the list along with super strength and speed. The power to be invisible was always attractive too-being able to go places and do things without anyone seeing you certainly has its merit. Even as an adult, that concept is still intriguing.

Here's the deal though-we all have the power of invisibility. It's the difference between the visible us-the one that our family, friends, co-workers, classmates, fellow church goers and accountability partners see-and the hidden us-the one that only God and us really know. The invisible us hides our sinful thoughts, shame, insecurities, addictions, doubts and fears. It's the part of us that we struggle with on a daily basis and one that doesn't show up in our public (or even private) persona. We can live out the visible part of who we are fairly comfortably and no one will ever know about the invisible aspects-in fact, we are all doing it in some way right now.

That has never been God's intent for us though. Erecting the wall between our visible and invisible selves only widens the gap between who we say we are and who we truly are. Allowing God to break down that wall and bring healing and restoration will start to finally make us whole. It's the story of God's great plan to bring His people back to Him-not in pieces, but in our flawed yet forgiven entirety.

Healing

I managed to push through all of our recent history maintaining a strength and focus that was certainly beyond me.  We dealt with the news of our departure from our Florida church and the fallout by committing our family to God and His ultimate plan for our lives.  The process was quick--within a month of the resignation we were here in Georgia and working.  There is no doubt that God orchestrated it all to lead us here and I know that the future is bright with Him leading the way.

Believing in that is one thing, but a wounded heart takes a whole lot longer to heal.  I can honestly admit that I was at peace throughout the entire turmoil and subsequent process.  I never lost my temper nor was I really tempted to do so.  Now that we are here and working I do find that I am hurt more than I wanted to admit.  Being forcibly ripped out of our lives there and the lives of people that I care about leaves gaping wounds that don't become whole overnight.  Constant reminders of what once was cause an ache in my heart and soul.  Resentment flares up and then dissipates.  The friends that have decided that our previous relationship was only pertinent due to proximity bring about heartfelt disappointment.  I liken it to the grief process-denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.  In no way does it compare to loss of life, but my heart doesn't know the difference.  It grieves for what is lost-a status, a place, a church, and relationships that will never be the same.

I know that He will make me new again-He does it every day.  The process itself is painful though and I know that I don't have the strength to do this on my own.  I will simply trust in my King and take comfort in how He is already doing His work on my heart.

If anyone belongs to Christ, there is a new creation.  The old things have gone; everything is made new.  2 Corinthians 5:17