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| I Refuse to be Comfortable in Misery |
We continue this week with the story of the sick man healed at the Pool of Bethesda. [John 5:1-15].Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” (John 5:5-6, NKJV)
Jesus's question to the man was specific, "Do you want to be made well?" This is uncharacteristic of Jesus. Typically, He will ask, "what will you have me do for you?" Why will Jesus ask such a question? Knowing Jesus would not ask a question just for the sake of asking, our first conclusion is, "there is something amiss."
That which is missing gives us a clue as to why the man had been sick for thirty-eight (38) years, even though he laid beside his miracle all that while. Understanding Jesus’ question gives an inkling into why people remain less than all they can be. They are impoverished, frustrated, sad, lacking in joy, devoid of life, etc.
This is even though our Heavenly Father has His hands outstretched to give us of His abundance. We know for sure that His hands are not short. It is not any of the false religious or non-religious excuses we cook to make up for our inadequacies. Jesus was asking the man, “Do you really want to get well, or are you just wasting your time here?”
He was asking, “Do you really want to get well, or are you comfortable in your sickness?” He asked, “How much do you really want to get healed?” “Are you willing to pay the price to get that which you want?” And, you know, He is asking you and me the same question today. How much do we really want a breakthrough? How much do we really want Him to enlarge our coast (territory)?
Do we want it just because every other person does? Or, do we want it because it is truly a desire of our hearts? Have we become comfortable in our misery, so much it has become our new normal? Like Rhiannon Rees so rightly says,
"Life is a choice and the choice is yours."
Steve Maraboli adds,
"Your complaints, your drama, your victim mentality, your whining, your blaming, and all of your excuses have NEVER gotten you even a single step closer to your goals or dreams. Let go of your nonsense. Let go of the delusion that you DESERVE better and go EARN it! Today is a new day!"
And, Jim Rohn corroborates,
"Every life form seems to strive to its maximum except human beings. How tall will a tree grow? As tall as it possibly can. Human beings, on the other hand, have been given the dignity of choice. You can choose to be all or you can choose to be less. Why not stretch up to the full measure of the challenge and see what all you can do?"Do you remember the proverbial frog in boiling water? The frog was slowly boiled alive. If the frog is put suddenly into boiling water, it will jump out, but if the frog is put in tepid water, which is then brought to a boil slowly, it will not perceive the danger and be cooked.
© 2014 Akin Akinbodunse
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