| Article by: Cindy Singleton |
The sound of my breaking bone still rings in my ears.
We were ice skating at the end of a family vacation in the mountains. The ice rink was jam-packed with busloads of kids who’d arrived shortly after we did.
One of them darted right in front of me and my legs went flying.
That’s when I heard the crack of my ankle bone and felt the searing pain of an injury that would take me off my feet (doctor’s orders) for three solid weeks.
At home, my husband lovingly arranged pillows on the living room sofa and placed a small bell on a table next to me. Then he made a chore list for our three daughters complete with dish-washing, clothes-folding, and floor-sweeping.
My friends delivered meals along with flowers, cards, and gestures of sympathy.
At the time of my injury, I was a busy, tired mom. Now, for three short weeks, I’d be relieved of carpool lines, lunch-making, and nighttime baths.
Besides all that, I received a free pass for my numerous church and school commitments.
I should have seen what was coming, but instead, I was blindsided.
Do you want to get well?
One morning my husband brought me a freshly brewed cup of coffee and said, “Well, today’s the day you’ve been waiting for. You get your walking cast!”
And I froze.
I couldn’t believe the feelings that swept over me. In an instant, I contemplated how I could fake a fall and injure my ankle all over again. Or perhaps I’d conjure up some flu-like symptoms that would delay a doctor visit.
In a nutshell, I didn’t want to get well. I enjoyed being injured and I didn’t want my life of ease and excuses to end.
I didn’t want to get well. I enjoyed being injured and I didn’t want my life of ease and excuses to end. @cindyhsingletonI’ll bet that’s how the disabled man at the Pool of Bethesda felt when Jesus walked by.
He’d been disabled for 38 years. His family and friends no doubt cared for him and got him to the pool every day. Like my husband, I’m sure they had no clue that a person who needed healing might be horrified by the thought of getting better.
But Jesus knew. That’s why He asked him an unlikely question:
“Do you want to get well?”
That’s a question we all have to ask ourselves when it comes to personal wounds we carry. Because frankly, the honest answer to that question will determine whether or not we find healing.
Do you have open wounds in your life? Things that cause you hurt and pain and keep you from moving forward?
Do you want to get well if there’s something you’d lose?
Whether you ache from the pain of a hard past, suffer from a compulsive or habitual behavior, or have Insecurities that leave you paralyzed and needy, healing can be yours.
But first, you must answer an important question:
Do you want to get well if there’s something you’d lose?
Do you want to get well if there’s something you’d lose? Sadly, many women aren't willing to endure loss in order to pursue healing.Years ago I worked at a residential Christian recovery center for women addicted to drugs and/or alcohol.
Often the greatest struggle clients faced wasn’t the addiction itself, but letting go of life as an addict.
Living free of addictions may require changing friends, taking responsibility for children someone else has been raising, or losing eligibility of a disability check.
Sadly, many women weren’t willing to endure loss in order to receive complete healing.
When you let go of hurt and pain, you lose something. Maybe it’s the right to be angry. Perhaps it’s the consolation and help of sympathetic friends.
Whatever it is, acknowledging the loss will help you let go and move on.
What would getting well require you to do?
The guy at the Pool of Bethesda had to be willing to let go of some things.
Apparently he was quick to make excuses and blame someone else for his lot in life.
When Jesus asked him if he wanted to get well, “Sir,” the sick man answered, “I don’t have a man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I’m coming, someone goes down ahead of me” (Jn 5:7).
Evidently the man needed to:
- Take responsibility for his life.
- Leave passivity behind.
- Stop identifying as a victim.
So, no doubt he had to ask himself the same question we must ask: What would getting well require you to do?
Six Things Getting Well Requires of Us
Getting Well Requires Us to Face the Truth
Sometimes the honest truth is we’re part of the problem. Other times we have to come to grips with the reality that our circumstances may never change, but we can. Through the Scriptures, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (Jn 8:32).
Getting Well Requires Us to Give up Control
Spiritual healing comes only after we admit we need help. When we cry out to God, He ALWAYS answers. “Lord my God, I cried to You for help, and You healed me” (Ps 30:2).
Getting Well Requires Us to Forgive
Sometimes one of the most difficult but life-changing things we can do is simply forgive. Nothing will cause personal wounds to fester like anger and bitterness. The hard work of forgiveness results in healing and freedom that can transform lives. That’s why we should seek to “Be gentle and ready to forgive; never hold grudges. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others (Col 3:13 TLB).”
Here is a list of six things getting well requires of us. Which one have you been avoiding?Getting Well Requires Us to Take Ownership
No one else can own your season of healing. It’s up to you. But you’re never on your own. All you must do is “draw near to God, and He will draw near to you (Jm 4:8 TLB).”
Getting Well Requires Us to Give Up Our Fears
You don’t have the power to heal, so go ahead and admit your weaknesses. “Last of all I want to remind you that your strength must come from the Lord’s mighty power within you (Eph 6:10 TLB).”
Getting Well Requires Us to Stop Making Excuses.
When Jesus asked the man at the pool if he wanted to get well, the first thing the man did was make an excuse. “Get up,” Jesus told him, “pick up your mat and walk (Jn 5:8 TLB)!” In other words, do something.
Stop making excuses and take some action.
Do you want to get well or miss out on life?
I went to the doctor and got my walking cast.
The cast was cumbersome and annoying, but a few weeks later it was removed and my ankle was completely healed.
Since then, I’ve thought a million times about how grateful I am that I’m not limping through life.
Healing doesn’t always come as easily or as quickly as we want it to. But if we persevere with God’s help, we will experience His healing.
God’s healing work often extends beyond the physical, as He infuses our broken bodies with spiritual and emotional wellbeing.
Healing doesn’t always come as easily or as quickly as we want it to. But if we persevere with God’s help, we will experience His healing.Do you want to get well? Then surrender your pain to the Lord.
He is Jehovah Rapha, The One who Heals. By His grace and in His time, He will help you heal.
– Cindy Singleton
Cindy Singleton is a wife, mom to three daughters, and “CeCe” to eight grandchildren. She enjoys sharing her own life experiences as evidence that even when life is crazy, God is faithful. A long-time Bible teacher, Cindy has spent much of her spare time visiting Disneyworld and flipping houses with her husband. You can read more of Cindy’s writing at TheTitusWoman.com and connect with her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
