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 5:6

Devotion

Have you ever had a toilet with a broken handle? Although it is oftentimes a fairly simple fix, we regularly just adjust our routine to live with it. We adjust our behavior to make space for the minor inconvenience of jiggling the handle or holding it down a little bit longer. We can live with it. Perhaps it’s not the flusher that is broken, maybe it is a door that has to be closed just right to latch. These little problems eventually may not even be a second thought after a few weeks of inconvenience. Then, sometimes, the little crooked-ness is an indication of a bigger problem to come–like the rock in your shoe that was a problem, then you got used to it, now you have a sore on the bottom of your foot.

Life can be like that. We can get stuck in a mindset. We replay it over and over again. We get used to it. When I was young in the mid-90’s, I got it stuck in my head that I was “less than” because I was “too big.” That mindset stuck with me. It was a story in my life accidentally reinforced many times over. “You can’t get those shoes. They don’t make them big enough for you.” “Miss, you are too tall for the play area.” “They don’t make that in a bigger size.”

Even if all of those statements were factually true as I was a very tall child, I held on to the part that hurt. I did not realize how much holding on to past hurts affected my life. I could tell about even more of the different false things I believed about myself that I did not think were worthy enough to give to the God who created the universe. How untrue that is!

The Bible is filled with reminders that we are the highlight of his creation. We are made in his image. There is nothing else he created that is like him. There is nothing else in creation that can be with him the way we can. He sent his son to take our punishment for sin! His love for you is undeniable.

“But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will he not much more clothe you?” He wants us to rely on him daily. God wants us to be well. He wants us to lay down our hurts, the pain and the excuses, the big and small, at his feet. He wants to remove all that is hindering you from a fuller and deeper relationship with him, your Creator–whether you think it is too small or too big.

It may take work to fix the broken handle. Sometimes it’s a quick fix, and sometimes it reveals something deeper that needs a professional. In the same way, the things we’ve learned to live with—the hurts, the lies, the patterns—may take time and intention to bring before God. But he wants you to be well. The question is, "Do you want to be made well?"

PRAYER

Father, creator, you are holy. Thank you for sending your son to be our righteousness. Thank you for your grace that forgives and makes us whole. Thank you for loving me unconditionally and caring for all of me. Help me recognize the hurt and pain that I have been withholding from you. Lord, make me well. It is in you alone that I can be made well, for you are the Almighty and Holy One. Amen.

Nevan White
Administrative Assistant for Congregational Care

Resources:

If you desire hope and healing through support and recovery groups, check out Crossings’ LifeCare Ministry to get connected. https://crossings.church/lifecare

If you desire to become more like Christ everyday, check out Crossings’ Spiritual Formation Ministry. https://crossings.church/spiritual-formation

To catch up on the latest sermon, rewatch past sermons, listen to worship music, or get connected to a podcast, check out Crossings’ Resources. https://resources.crossings.church/

Explore other devotions like this one any time at crossings.church/devotions .