Friday, April 12, 2013 -- Admitting The Real Nature Of My Problem (2)

Which is easier?  To stop drinking and drugging, overspending and gossiping, or to enter into a new life of caring and responsibility taking, giving back to family and community, being a person fully alive as I was created to be?  Jesus is ready to help us with the challenges of the latter.  Jesus has healing.  Jesus has forgiveness.  Jesus has power and authority to give us a new life. 

Self-help techniques can assist us.  We can listen to each other’s confession and affirm God’s forgiveness.  We can encourage one another to walk in the truth of God’s word but only God can give us new life.

Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said,  “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”  And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, “We’ve never seen anything like this before!” (Mark 2:10-12 NLT)

The man’s healing confirmed that Jesus is the one with authority and power over everything touching human life.  Do we want to get well?  Are we willing to come to the Healer and let Him deal with the root problems that keep us sick and addicted, or do we still think we have solutions in ourselves?  Are we ready to believe that Jesus has the power and wisdom to give us understanding of all our needs?

Will we hear the voice of invitation from Jesus today – “Your sins are forgiven.  Stand up and walk.”

Jesus didn’t do the standing.  Jesus didn’t do the picking up of the mat.  Jesus didn’t do the going home.  The man did that.  He obeyed what Jesus told him.  He acted on the words of life Jesus spoke to him.  Will we?