One day Jesus saw the man lying there in need. It was obvious that he was crippled, but Jesus asked the man what seemed a strange question: “Do you want to be made well?”

I believe God is asking a similar question of us today: “Do you want to be well or do you want to continue lying around feeling sorry for yourself?”

Jesus asked a simple, straightforward question, but the man’s response was interesting. He began listing all of his excuses. “I’m all alone. I don’t have anyone to help me. Other people have let me down. Other people always seem to get ahead of me. I don’t have a chance in life.”

Is it any wonder that he remained in that condition for thirty-eight years?

I love the way Jesus answered him. He didn’t even respond to his sad story. He didn’t say, “Yes, friend, I agree with you. You’ve had a tough time. Let Me commiserate with you.”

No, Jesus looked at him and said, in effect, “If you are serious about getting well, if you are serious about getting your life in order, if you really want to get out of this mess, here’s what you must do: Get up off the ground, take up your bed, and be on your way.” When the man did what Jesus told him to do, he was miraculously healed!

That’s a message for us today. If you’re serious about being well, if you really want to be made physically and emotionally whole, you must get up and get moving with your life. No more lying around feeling sorry for yourself. You must stop going back to file number two all the time. Stop making excuses; stop blaming people or circumstances that disappointed you. Instead, start forgiving the people that hurt you.

Today can be a turning point in your life, a time of new beginnings. Don’t waste another minute trying to figure out why certain evil things have happened to you or your loved ones. Refuse to live with a victim mentality any longer. — Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential (Joel Osteen)-

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