Day 14 – Fit For Life Challenge

Good morning everyone! 😀 It’s Day 14! This morning I want to talk about a story from John 5. In this story we read about a man who was lame. We’re not told specifically what was wrong with him , but we know he was unable to walk. There was a pool of water where people who were sick, blind or lame could go to get healed. They just had to get into the water. Now this man had been lame and had been laying next to the healing pool for 38 years. 38 years! The water that could heal him was right there, but he had never gotten in the water!

John 5:6,8-9 says, When Jesus saw him lying there and learned he had been in that condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”….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.

When he was asked if he wanted to get well, the man told Jesus that no one would help him into the healing waters, and people kept getting in front of him. I would think that in 38 years,he could’ve gotten someone to help him into the water! Jesus asked him if he wanted to get well.. ..that seems to be pretty obvious. But, when Jesus asked him that, he saw the condition the man was in and Jesus let him know that he had to make the choice to get better.

Think about your life. Think of the issues that you may have dealt with that kept you on the sidelines and robbed you of health or happiness. How long did you stay there? Maybe you’re still there. Just like the man in the story who was right there by the healing water, you too have the option to get well. There are things about our health , both physically or mentally that we have little control over.. but there are many things we DO have control over. …we just have to decide that we want to get better. We have to decide that we want to make the changes we need to make! Jesus told the man to get up .. is it time for you to finally make a move? What’s holding you back?

I think sometimes we get complacent and just settle with things the way they are in our life, even though we know we need to make some changes. Sometimes we say, oh well, this is how I’ve always been, things will never change. We put limits on ourselves that aren’t necessary! You know God can give you the strength and power you need to do what you have to do to get healthier. How often do you pray for that? Jesus was ultimately the one who healed that man and He can help us but there are times when WE have to take action. We have to decide. We have to set a goal, make a plan, and take the needed steps to create changes we need to make in our life. Sometimes, you just have to get up and move!

If you are feeling like that you have allowed something to hold you back from being all you were created to be, maybe today is your day to get up!

Action Step 14👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼
In this story the man told Jesus that he had no one to help him get into the healing water. We’ve talked about accountability, but do you have an accountability partner? Do you have someone in your life that you can trust to hold you accountable when you decide to make positive changes in your life? Be intentional about reaching out to someone to be that accountability partner to you and you can help them as well. Have a happy day friends! 😀