"Then you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free." ~ John 8:32

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Do You Want to Get Well?

Do you want to get well? This may seem like a silly question, but it is the question Jesus asked the paralytic (John 5:6).  Why would Jesus ask such a question? Surely, everyone wants to be well.

The truth is that not everyone wants to be well. The desire to be well precedes all healing.  If you do not want to be well, then you will not get well.  But if you want to get well, you will get well as you seek God's wisdom and pray for His direction. You will get well as you believe that you will get well. 

How can you tell if you want to be healed?  Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

1) Am I using my physical sickness or my emotional illness as a means of getting attention?  If so, am I willing to give up that desire for attention in exchange for wholeness?  

2) Am I willing to renounce the doctrines of men and the doctrines of devils in exchange for the truth of God's Word? Much false teaching is out there regarding healing. This false teaching comes from people and from demons. You may have been the recipient of this false teaching in your church or elsewhere. False teaching will keep you from wanting to be healed. If, for example, you have been falsely taught that God makes people sick to teach them something, then you will feel conflicted about wanting to be healed because you will think that you are violating God's will. But, if it is true that God makes you sick to teach you something, then you are violating God's will by going to a doctor.

3) Am I willing to concede that, while I may not be responsible for what happens to me, I am totally responsible for how I respond to what happens to me? It is far easier emotionally and psychologically to blame others for our troubles than to assume the responsibility ourselves. But the truth is that we cause many of our own problems.

4) Am I willing to concede that while God is in control of the universe, He has given me dominion over the earth, a free will, and, therefore, dominion over my choices?  It is far easier to blame our negative life situations on God's sovereignty than on our responsibility. Saying that everything happens because God is in control is a cop-out.  Some things happen because of our poor choices. God never intended for them to happen.

5) Am I willing to give up all of my excuses to pursue emotional health? Am I willing to go through the pain in order to discover the freedom that is on the other side of the pain? Emotional health requires a price on our part.  That price is the laying down of our own solutions to our problems and the embracing of God's solutions as found in His Word.

So, do you want to be healed?  I hope you'll shout a resounding YES! :)

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