Mar 20 • General discussion
Devotional: Am I Really Stuck… or Am I Making Excuses?
If I’m being honest, there are times I tell myself I’m “stuck”… but when I really slow down and examine it, I’m not truly stuck—I’m choosing. I’ve seen this play out in something as simple as eating. I’ll say, “I don’t have time to eat healthy,” or “It’s just hard to stay consistent.” But if I’m truthful, those aren’t full truths—they’re softened explanations. The reality is, sometimes I just want what I want. It’s easier, it’s convenient, and it satisfies me in the moment. So instead of calling it a choice, I call it a struggle. And as I sit with that, I realize this pattern doesn’t just affect my habits—it can quietly shape my relationship with God.
That’s why when I look at the story in John 5, it begins to press on me in a deeper way. Jesus approaches a man who had been disabled for 38 years—thirty-eight years of waiting, hoping, and living in the same condition. And when Jesus asks him, “Would you like to get well?” (John 5:6, NLT), the man doesn’t simply say yes. Instead, he explains why he hasn’t been healed—no one helps him, others get there first, the opportunity always slips away. And as I hear that, it sounds familiar, because I’ve done the same thing. I’ve given explanations instead of making decisions. I’ve pointed to circumstances instead of taking ownership.
So Jesus cuts straight through it all and says, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!” (John 5:8, NLT). In an instant, the man is healed. No delay, no process—just the power of Jesus. But what happens next is just as important as the miracle itself. The man is confronted by the Jewish leaders for carrying his mat on the Sabbath, and when they question him, he doesn’t point them to Jesus. Instead, he says he doesn’t know who healed him. Whether he truly didn’t know or simply avoided saying it, the result is the same—he doesn’t identify Jesus in that moment.
And at first, that might seem harmless. But as the story continues, Jesus later finds him in the temple and says, “Now you are well; so stop sinning, or something even worse may happen to you.” (John 5:14, NLT). That’s a direct call to change. Not just healing—but transformation. Not just relief—but responsibility.
And this is where the story takes a turn that really challenges me. Because after that moment—after being healed, after being warned, after being called to live differently—the man goes to the Jewish leaders and tells them it was Jesus who healed him (John 5:15). And when I think about that progression, it’s sobering. Earlier, when he was questioned, he didn’t reveal Jesus. But after being confronted about his sin and told to change, he goes back and names Him.
And I have to wrestle with that, because it reveals something about the human heart. It’s possible to receive from Jesus… but still resist what He says next. It’s possible to accept the blessing… but reject the instruction. And if I’m honest, I can see traces of that in myself. I can want God to move in my life, but when His Word challenges me—when it calls me to discipline, obedience, or change—I can feel that resistance rise up. Not because I don’t believe, but because I don’t always want to be told what to do.
And that brings everything full circle for me. Because what I often call being “stuck” may not be about inability—it may be about unwillingness. It may be that I’ve gotten comfortable explaining my situation instead of surrendering it. But Jesus doesn’t just ask if I want relief—He asks if I want to be made whole. And if the answer is yes, then it means more than receiving—it means responding.
So I have to ask myself honestly: Do I really want to get well? Or do I just want things to feel better without actually changing? Because the same Jesus who says, “Get up and walk,” is also the One who says, “Now go and live differently.” And His grace is not just meant to heal me—it’s meant to transform me.
Prayer
Lord, thank You for Your grace that meets me in my weakness and Your truth that calls me higher. Help me to be honest about the areas where I’ve been making excuses instead of taking responsibility. Search my heart and reveal any resistance in me that doesn’t want to change. Give me the strength to not only receive from You, but to obey You. Help me to walk in the healing You’ve given and live in a way that honors You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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Devotional: Am I Really Stuck… or Am I Making Excuses?
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