Get Up, Get Right, Get Going

In John Chapter 5 Jesus comes upon a man who has been paralyzed for 38 years. He asked him a simple question, "Do you want to get well?"

In the world of addiction that simple question is the key to recovery. If the answer is yes, we have the resources and skills to get you there if you are willing to endure the journey. But many of us are like this man who made an excuse why he hadn't gotten well before. His answer to Jesus question was not a resounding yes but this:

"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." (note: when the water of the pool was stirred it supposedly had healing powers)

Excuses, we have a ton of them, it's called denial. Why don't you go to detox - I can do it on my own. Why don't you get someone to move you closer to the pool so you can get in quickly? Why? I believe the main reason why is we get so comfortable in a bad situation that we wallow in it, lamenting why everyone is against us and why no one understands me. It's classic from this story 2000 years ago until this very day. We are way too comfortable in misery.

Jesus then tells him to Get Up, which he did. Pick up that mat or in today's jargon Get Right and walk or simply Get Going! Then later he gave him a warning, that same warning we give to those who are thinking about a relapse, "stop sinning or something worse might happen to you". Or, stop using or you may die.

For the rest of this message you will have to come to Real Talk Recovery next Wednesday March 17th at 7:30 PM or be a male resident of Good Landing Recovery on the following morning, but here is the wrap-up:

God can do for us what we cannot do for ourselves, but he won't do for us what we can do ourselves. Think about that and then regardless of what trials you are facing, Get Up, Get Right, Get Going!