Last week I talked about being a mood manipulator, wanting to control and manipulate others with our behavior. This topic is right down that same alley, like two doors down. This post includes no deep dives into the psychology of humans or therapists’ opinions… these are just things I have observed in my own life and the lives of others throughout my 20 years in ministry. Take it or leave it. But please take it…😅🙏 Here is some Bible:
John 5:6–7 (NLT): “…He (Jesus) asked him, “Would you like to get well?” 7 “I can’t, sir,” the sick man said, “for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.”
Would you like to be free from that issue, truly? Your problem? Your fear? Your laziness? Your irritability? Your depression? Your excuse? Your sickness? Your sin?
These are hard questions to confront yourself with. Most of us would immediately say, “YES! I want to be free!”… but when the Lord exposes the things that we need to be set free from and repent of, we often are quick to say, “Oh, I can’t because….”.
I used to teach my kids when they were little “Can’t means WON’T! so you had better get your buns moving!” Sometimes the Holy Spirit tells me this still! 😩
Why on earth do we want to stay broken? Why do we desire something to be wrong and stay wrong with us?
This poor, crippled man Jesus was talking to had a valid excuse. He was physically unable to move his body into the Pool of Bethesda to receive this miraculous healing… but he never once considered that there was another option. JESUS.
Many times in my life, I have been presented with the choice to change. More often than not, I have failed to respond with the correct response right away, but by the grace of God, I always come around and choose to do the work of repentance and actually change. 🫠
It always requires me to repent, admit I am wrong, break old habits, and create new ones; it requires me to venture out into the unknown with zero control. How much easier is it to say, “But, I can’t, Lord!” and continue with life as is? Crippled, paralyzed in fear, waiting for someone else to do things for me, or better yet, hoping it will smooth over and we can all forget!😃
Do you know that if Jesus hadn’t had grace on his life, this crippled man would have died waiting to be healed? How often do WE wait for a better time, a less painful way, an easier option? We have these ideas and wishes of who we will be one day… but we never accept the healing already there for us because it requires WORK on our end. People GO TO THE GRAVE having never received what God had for them because their reply was always, “I can’t.”
Many times the Lord has confronted me with my SIN. I am the first to admit I hate it with everything in me. My flesh wants to hide, get away, and avoid any changes. But my love for the Lord won’t allow it.
I go through the typical list of reasons why I can’t:
It’s too hard; it’s not my fault; it’s because I’m just wounded from my past and hurting, so I need you to feel sorry for me; it’s too much for me to deal with right now; I am afraid.”
But all those boil down to I don’t want to do it. I am much more comfortable right where I am on this sickbed, with my kingdom built how I want, and I honestly don’t want to be disturbed by the Lord setting me free. Because that would require me to DO something. (I will elaborate more on this in part 2.)
Have you been here? Have you been a person manipulating things to stay the same, avoid change, and continue in your funk because you don’t want to deal with it?
Think about your home life. Are you the one who always ends up being right? Is it everyone else who has issues? When cornered, do you cling to victim excuses such as fear or “this happened to me”? Are you an expert at weaseling your way around YOU being the one required to change, or do you ignore it and hope it all blows over and you don’t have to ACTUALLY change?
(I am good at that one, I can agree, vow my new way of life, promise the sun and moon and stars… and once the tension is gone, I am free to slip back into my old ways gradually; I never really intended to have to follow through with my claim for good intentions.)
Your personal growth with the Lord: Are you still dealing with issues years later that you should have been long past? Do you avoid responsibilities or new levels because you “can’t”… for whatever reasons you sell yourself? Do you avoid discipleship and correction from your husband, leader, pastor, or devotional time with the Lord?
When you are old, do you imagine yourself to be this old, wise church grandmother that people write books about because you somehow ended up being Mother Teresa the Second? I have news for you. If you, at some point, don’t change how you live your life of faith, you will be no further along than you are today when your life ends. THAT is a scary thought!
What about your ministry? Has the Lord placed conviction on your heart to take action, and you are dragging your feet? Do you have dreams inside of you that you keep putting on the back burner for “someday”? Has the Lord given you clear instruction, and you are like this cat in the story above saying, “I can’t, Lord, no one will help me!”
Let’s take a moment of silence for our conviction to settle in deep… 🙏😣 Consider those things.
Okay… continuing…
“So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” – James 4:17 ESV.
“Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”- 1 Peter 1:13 ESV
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” – James 1:22 ESV.
“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” – 2 Timothy 1:7 ESV
Unfortunately for us in today’s culture, we think our excuses will be acceptable in the eyes of the Lord. But those things are sins.
We are called to die to ourselves, to take up our Cross, and live through JESUS.
“And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”- Luke 9:23 ESV.
Jesus did not say, “When you feel like you are ready, strong, and can see past your fear and wounds, hopefully, one day you will be able to reach the plans I created you for.”
NO! HE COMMANDS us to repent of our excuses and live a life of faith by the POWER of His Blood!
“I can’t, Jesus!” Yep, you are right. YOU can’t. But YOU CAN and MUST through JESUS CHRIST, who lives in YOU.
“I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” – Galatians 2:20, NIV.
Let’s not imagine or talk about living our calling; let’s get to work and advance quickly in the plans Jesus has for us. Let’s not allow another excuse to be embraced by our flesh, ME INCLUDED.
Let’s INSIST on rising to every level Jesus places before us and take on the world for JESUS!! Go, GIRLS!! WHO IS EXCITED?!
RESOURCES & LINKS:
Mood Manipulator: https://gogirl.life/2023/07/10/are-you-a-mood-manipulator/
Power of the Blood Series by Ps. Rich Witmer:
WATCH: https://destiny.subspla.sh/afd5d20
If I Change, Everything Changes Series by Ps. Rich Witmer
YES!💪🏽
Nailed it ❤️❤️❤️ gettin is right where we need it! 🙏🏻
BOOM! Right on the nose
Why are you all up in our business Annie?!