“Do you want to be well?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; while I am on my way, someone else gets down there before me.” Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your mat, and walk.” Immediately the man became well, took up his mat, and walked.
Indeed, the passage of John 5:1-16 highlights an important truth that sometimes we may not want to be well, and we may rather wallow in our sickness. The man who had been ill for thirty-eight years had become so accustomed to his condition that he had given up hope of ever being healed. When Jesus asked him if he wanted to be healed, the man responded by saying that he had no one to help him into the pool. He did not express a desire to be healed, but instead focused on his limitations.
This attitude is not unique to the man in the passage. I can relate to this, as sometimes I may become comfortable with my limitations, and may not have the desire or motivation to change. No doubt, believing that I can’t do something is a comfortable excuse for my inaction. I’ve learned that such an inability to take responsibility for my life has robbed me of opportunities and growth. Yet, Jesus tells me today that learning to seek discomfort and grow out of my boundaries is what will allow me to reach my full potential.
Let us take up our mats, trust in Jesus, and let go of our excuses to receive the healing and restoration that He offers us.
— Anonymous