October 22, 2015

Do you want to get well?

Do You Want To Get Well?

As a Pastor I truly want to see people healed. Of course I’m talking about the complete package; body, soul, & spirit. All of us are thankful when God brings physical healings our way. We rejoice and give Him praise when we hear testimonies of how His healing spirit flowed through a person’s body. The Lord knows how often we pray for this for so many of our friends and family.

But let’s be really candid for a moment. All the physical healings in the world will never translate into eternal life. If a young adult is healed of a life-threatening disease but never repents of his sins and comes to Christ, that individual will live on in eternity separated from the very One who brought his physical healing to begin with.

One day, unless the Lord returns first, each of us will die. Our bodies will decay, slow down, and will eventually die. Does this mean Jesus doesn’t care for our bodies? Of course He cares. Our body is His temple. But Jesus cares about more than just our temporary earth suit he has loaned us for this short life. He cares for soul and spirit as well.

I’m often reminded of the story of the man who had been sick for many years by the pool of Bethesda. Every day his friends would position him close by the water in hope that if an angel stirred the water he would be healed, (a Jewish belief). One day Jesus noticed the man and asked him, “Do you want to get well?” My first response when I read this was, What kind of question was that? “Do you want to get well??” Are you serious??? Of course he wanted to get well! He had been an invalid for 38 years (which may have been his entire life). You would have to be an idiot not to want to be well!

But then one day it dawned on me. This was a great question. It’s actually a life changing question. It’s a game changing question. The reason it’s such a great question is that not all people truly want to be well. You’ve met them. I have met them. Some would rather suffer, complain, gripe, be angry, be bitter, and wallow in their own misery than to be healed. Because if they are healed, they would have to give up on all the self absorbing qualities of life. Plus, they would be given the responsibility to get up and help others. Some have grown so dependent on others it’s just more comfortable to be on the receiving end.

What’s really sad is that many who are sick (soul and spirit) don’t know any better. They have never truly been cleansed by the Master. They don’t know what type of life they are missing. Either this is the case, or Satan has them so self consumed, so blind, so spiritually dead, that they simply want to control their own life…even if it is in their misery for eternity. Think about it…some would rather captain their own ship to hell, instead of giving the reins over to the true Captain who always is traveling to a much better destination. The truth is…You can’t help people who do not want to be well.