Too Many Excuses?
When life doesn’t move you forward, how long are you willing to wait? How many excuses will you use to keep sounding like you’re really trying? Would you make excuses for 38 years?
The Bible story in John, chapter 5 tells about the man who was born crippled and waited 38 years to get into the healing pool. He had observed that when the waters were stirred, miracles took place. However, the man never got into the water. He sat there, in the exact spot where his friends carried him every day. He watched as an angel came and stirred the waters and people were healed, but he never managed to get into the pool.
Jesus came to the healing pool one day and talked with the man and he told Jesus he couldn’t get into the water because others got there first. He said that every day, for 38 years, someone got there first! Wow!
Choosing to Be Stuck
Perhaps we can’t imagine the man’s dilemma. We imagine we would not wait for years to accomplish something important to us. In my own life, I confess I have asked God to do miraculous things. I have prayed He would help me when I felt weak and crippled and unable to move forward. When nothing happened, I am sure I was heavily armed with excuses. I said things like, others got there ahead of me, got the promotion I thought I would get at work, or wrote the book that sold millions of copies. I said those things, but not one excuse changed my circumstances. I still was stuck because I didn’t try hard enough. I was still sitting at the pool and nothing healed my situation.
Going back to the Bible story, Jesus finally asked the man a great question. He said, “Do you want to get well?” At first blush, it seems like an odd thing to ask. Of course the man wanted to get well! He’d been waiting 38 years already. Or, had he?
The point is that we don’t have to be paralyzed by our own fears. We don’t have to be afraid of falling down and discovering we simply aren’t worthy to be healed, or promoted, or gifted in some way.
We Are Meant to Be Healed!
Here’s the thing! We are meant to get well and move forward to do the work we were designed to do. We just have to move closer to the water, the Living Water, the Spirit of God. The healing waters stir continually because God is always with us. He stirs our hearts to know He’s near because He wants us to move on.
Don’t wait 38 years to let Jesus know you are ready to get well. Just get up, roll up your excuses, and dance.
There’s no one ahead of you in line today and the waters are stirring. Get up and shout for joy!