I’ve been thinking about that article a lot lately. It seems pretty straight forward, right? As the article asks, who among us who has
been sick, doesn’t want to get well? It
seems like a silly question. Then you
begin to think about it…there’s a reason why it was asked.
I saw Beth Moore a couple of weeks ago at the Living Proof Conference in Phoenix. It was a
wonderful experience. She shared a
powerful message with us about being marked.
We are marked by Christ. We are
also marked by our wounds. One of the
talks she gave really focused on our desire to hang on to the wounds.
There are people who have ongoing wounds that won’t
heal. Some people have ports that need
to stay open. Others have wounds that
never completely mend. Those wounds have
to be tended to. Cleaned, freed from
infection, and given attention.
This can be us. We like the attention our wounds take. We desire the attention that our broken places get us. We don’t know what life would be like without our wounds. So here we are; addicted to what's hurting us most. Tending the same wounds over and over again and never allowing them to breathe and heal, so that we can move elsewhere with our focus.
This can be us. We like the attention our wounds take. We desire the attention that our broken places get us. We don’t know what life would be like without our wounds. So here we are; addicted to what's hurting us most. Tending the same wounds over and over again and never allowing them to breathe and heal, so that we can move elsewhere with our focus.
For the past few years, Easter has been a powerful time of
freedom for me. It’s a time where I reflect
with God about how free I actually am.
The Lenten journey is about revealing the places where I’ve enslaved
myself and Easter is all about bringing them to the surface and claiming freedom. With vulnerability, I admit that there were
so many areas of unhealthiness that came to mind this year, that I didn’t even
allow myself to continue the list.
That’s what happens when we let a sore fester. Brokenness takes charge and creates problems
we never had in the first place. For me,
my addiction to working has hurt my exercise habits, my eating, my social life,
my spiritual life, my emotional health, and has broken my attitude toward many things.
We complain about the wounds, the shortcomings or
disappointments in our lives, the extra stress, the bad habits, the lack of
fulfillment in our relationship with the Lord, the lack of community, the
financial struggles, and the goals left unmet.
And yet…the question still lingers.
Is the answer still so obvious? Do you
want to be healed?
If so, how badly?
Badly enough to be totally uncomfortable and in an unfamiliar
place? Badly enough to work hard? Or stop
working? Or be terribly disciplined?
Badly enough to ask for help and admit you can’t do it
alone? Badly enough to seek counseling
or medical care? Badly enough to confess
fault or forgive someone elses or both?
Badly enough to stop eating things you shouldn’t? Or watching things you shouldn’t? Or being with people you shouldn’t?
Badly enough to take a risk?
Badly enough to know that failure might be an option, but willing to try
anyway?
Do you want to be healed badly enough to be exposed? Or to swallow your pride and admit that
things weren’t working before?
Badly enough to talk to a stranger in hopes of making a new
friend? Badly enough to look past
insecurity? Badly enough to say “no more”
to fear and walk boldly?
Do you want to be healed badly enough that you’re willing to
give up your right to hold that grudge?
To still be angry? To still
complain?
The man’s response to Jesus was “but Sir, I don’t have
anyone to help me get into the pool.”
Yep. I have often
told Jesus how difficult it would be to be healed. It’s too hard. It’s not worth it. I can’t,
Jesus. Telling everyone how much I'd like to get up and walk...but boy, it's just never been the right time.
I love the Lord’s response: “Take up your mat and walk.”
Here it is. This is
how you’re going to see healing. Will
you trust Me and do what will heal you??
It will take work. It
may be difficult. It will take
faith. Will you step into the healing
available for you?
Will you be proactive?
Will you make new and better choices?
Will you get help?
There are some powerful women that I know with amazing gifts
of prayer. They prayed over me a couple
weeks ago and among them there was a resounding consensus about my
welfare. “You are overburdened.” I guess I’d known it, but having it spoken by
others hit me. One of the women looked
me in the eye and said, “you don’t have to carry this by yourself…what you need
to do is rest in the loving arms of Jesus.”
My wound of overworking was being exposed. She was right. I raced into the Word that week. I needed to be still in rest in my Daddy’s
arms.
One step at a time, healing can be
found. You may never see yourself as
completely healed in this side of eternity, but always more free than
before. I pray for your freedom and
healing. For God does His best work
through us, when we lie free and open for Him to use.
There are always resources for getting healed in many and
various ways. If you don’t know where to
start, ask a friend, a teacher, a pastor or church minister, a counselor. They’ll help you make a plan.
Jesus offers healing.
We see it in the cross and the empty tomb. He is life.
He desires life for you in the biggest, fullest, least inhibited
way. He showed that He’s all about
giving you life when He gave you His. There
is no wound too big for His power.
I have goals for my life.
Goals to achieve, accomplish, and to engage. But first, before any of that is worth doing
or maybe even possible to attain, I have to seek health. I truly believe that some of the struggles
from my last couple of years have been so that I would find the deep healing at
this place in my story.
And so I have to
ask myself and you have to ask yourself…today and everyday going forward…are
you ready? Do you want to be healed?