One of my favorite stories in the Bible! Its real life! I can relate big time to the lame man, in the book of John. I may not have been physically lame. I was lame spiritually and lame with all my excuses. This man was 38 years lame. I was 38 years lame in my excuses! Paralyzed in thoughts and action. Afraid of “being” well. Like the lame man only knowing beggy and being stuck. I too was stuck. Afraid of thinking my life could be different. The lame man was so use to someone bringing him to the pool every day. I too was use to drinking, doing drugs, porn, anger and fighting. This was my life. All I knew. And when help was offered, I would become “lame” making excuses. Yes, I want to be well. But!

I cried out to God, a God I didn’t know. At times I begged Him for help. Begged Him to change my life. Nothing! Or so I thought. When I look back over my life I can see how God put different people in my life to help me change. I can see how God put me in certain situations to see “if” I really wanted to be well.

The change happened, when, when I accepted “my” responsibility for my “part” in being lame. Like the lame man in John when Jesus asked; “Do you want to be well?” Jesus did His part. Now the lame man needed to do his part. That’s where many of us fail. We want Jesus to do it all. And there are times when Jesus will do it all. Such as when He healed me instantly from alcohol and drugs. Instantly! My lust was different. This was part of the lameness I wanted to hold on to. Not to bore you with the details, but, I was made well in this too. However, this time it was completely different. Jesus asked me, no not verbally, in my gut, in my heart and in my mind, “Do you want to be well, free from this lameness of lust?” Yes!

This required me doing my part. “Picking up my mat, And walking”. This required hard work. Renewing my mind. Renewing our minds plays a critical part in my lameness, in my walk with God. In everything. And is constant. It’s not one and done. It’s constant.

I see this in some mens' purity groups. They come to the group, “the pool of water” thinking, expecting “the group” to make them well. This will never happen. You may, may get one guy it clicks with. But, you cannot come week after week, year after year do the same thing and expect different results. That there is called insanity! Just as with the lame man in John looking to the water as a hope, a possibility of being different. This is actually a false sense of hope. As the guys week after week and year after year. Every time, making excuse. I’m not at all saying I have something special, or something they cannot achieve. What I am saying, in love, stop making excuses and turn whole heartedly to the person who made the lame man well, Jesus. Just as with the lame man Jesus helped him get well! Notice to that Jesus doesn’t tell the lame man; keep coming back to this pool week after week, to remember. No! He tells him “pick up your mat and walk” get away from this.

It will only happen when we stop saying “I have no one to carry me to the water”. It will happen when we pick up our mat’s and deny ourselves.