Get up and walk

Joyce Meyer once wrote that: "For change to occur in your life, you can't be a prisoner of your circumstances. Know that God is willing to help you today. You just have to decide to trust Him, get up, and actively pursue the freedom He's giving you."

When I read this statement, I thought to myself: "wow, what a powerful message." 

She was referring to John 5:8 where Jesus said to an invalid, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk." 

How many of us are living in our struggles? How many of us are being identified by our struggles? And why do we allow ourselves to be distinguished by our troubles, and to make excuses for them?

In John 5:1-10 we see that Jesus asks an invalid if he wanted to get well. Instead of answering with: "YES I DO!! PLEASE HEAL ME", the invalid just replied, "Sir, I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me." 
 
I understand that his attitude was the result of being an invalid for 38 YEARS (verse 5), and so his mind frame had been altered to emulate his disability. 

I sense a lot of us are still in this holding place.

In our struggles and circumstances, some of us have aimed to make excuses and have often shed the prospect of ever seeing things get any better. I hope that I can encourage you today.

I listened to a sermon called "It's all in the mind," by Josh Hathaway. He spoke about how the Apostle Paul liked to talk about the mind, mainframes and attitudes when he addressed the churches (i.e. us). Josh Hathaway went on to talk about how once we refocus our minds on GOD, we can have joy in ANY situation.

We learned this from Paul, who said: "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have LEARNED the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." (Philippians 4:12).

One would think: "No way! That would only take some supernatural power to LEARN to be content in EVERY situation." Well, that's the answer, and point. 

This disabled man saw Jesus in the flesh and Jesus asked Him if he wanted to get well. Close your eyes and image yourself as this man. 

 Jesus is asking you today: "do you want to get well?" 
You see, once you say 'yes' and mean that from the heart, a process is activated. 

No one said it would just be rosy and butterflies in the healing process, or that  the enemy won't start working "over time" to make sure you don't get that healing. What is guaranteed however, is the supernatural up-keeping and holding-power of God during, and after the process. But as long as you keep saying & thinking: "but such and such did this to me, or they never did this and this..." you'll never get the healing you need, you'll be sitting in the same spot watching others jumping ahead of you to get healing like this man did for many years.

This was an issue for me for a long time, but thanks be to God as He set me free (obviously other things are still in the works as well! haha!) and I believe that we can either walk in freedom & joy REGARDLESS of our situation, or we can choose to walk as a prisoner to whatever entered our life. The choice is yours. 

I encourage you to take a day to fast. Fast about whatever it is you feel convicted to fast about. It can be ANY area in your life that you need freeing from. Remember that there is NOTHING too big for God, or anything He doesn't already know about. It starts in the mind and the heart (i.e. confessing it), and there, with the willingness to change, you can get up, take your mat, and walk in faith believing God for healing! Amen. I'm so excited to see what God is going to do in your life. My dear friend, please don't ever let anyone or any situation strip you of your joy, your God-given destiny, or your worth in Christ Jesus, He wants to restore you today! Amen!

Once again, keep the faith, and love like you've never loved before.

With love always,

FAITH by Promises