Vase (Photo credit: Sunil Photos)

“Do you want to be well?”  The answer was blame.  “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred.”  The answer is clearly disconnected from the question.  But which one of us can point a finger at that man and accuse him?  Jesus healed him regardless his willingness to have a vibrant conversation.  If the man had understood who he was talking to I’m sure there would have been a whole lot more words than something stupid like casting blame.  He was talking face to face with the One who made him.

Someone has told you about the Gospel.  You heard of how you’re supposed to be free from sin.  But you find yourself reverting back and back again to the same old ways.  Now you’re lost in a fog of doubt.   “Maybe this Jesus thing doesn’t work because it can’t.  Maybe I’m too stubborn.  Maybe He can’t love me because of the things that plague my heart.”

The example above isn’t really fair in this context.  It’s not your legs that are paralyzed.  It’s your attitude and willingness to do what is pure and right, isn’t it.  To be fair to you, I’ll say this:  You don’t even know why you do what you do.  It’s just something you’ve become accustomed to doing when you’re stressed.  And let’s be real here.  You’re stressed all the time.  So you blame anything for your lack of desire and dedication to serve God with clean hands and a pure heart.  That isn’t a slam up against your head, my friend.  It’s the truth of slavery to sin.

In our slavery to the things we shouldn’t do we can’t even put our finger out and point to the real reason why.  So we wave our hand broadly and say, “It’s because of all those things.”  If that is true, then you’re helplessly lost and destined for destruction.  And that seems to be enough for you.  Somehow your plight is pushed out-of-the-way because you simply can’t do what’s right.  You simply CAN’T.  Good lie, but even you can see right through it.

You haven’t given up totally, however.  That vase of hope still sits on the corner table near the door.  And you tend to glance at it often enough to remember.  It gathers a dust of neglect.  Yet that is enough for you?  That’s not true and you know it.  Hopelessly you sit in the living room of your mind and gaze at that once beautiful treasure.  You grew tired of picking it up and examining its beauty.  So you put it near the door.  I notice you didn’t stick it away in the basement.

I have something for you.  How long ago was it when you sat on that couch and held that precious promise?  What has happened in the mean time?  Didn’t you grow up a bit more?  Haven’t you learned a few things about life you didn’t know when you last held “hope”?  What if you were to go get that gorgeous thing.  Dust it off.  And just go sit with it for a while.  You don’t have to reach in, wet your finger with the oil, and put it on your lips.  Just sit there and be silent with it for a while.

Now, while you’re sitting there, ponder what has happened to you since you last found yourself in this position.  Look hard for the things you learned.  Try not to look at the wickedness you embraced.  Just look at how you’ve learned to cope with certain issues.  In other words, look for success.  Strive to find the tiniest threads of “win”.  You have those because you had put that vase on a table right next to the door of your heart.  Every time you came in or went out you passed it by.  And your mind noticed.

The “great winning” doesn’t just fall on us.  It comes to us by a series of tiny “wins”.  Win once.  Then quickly gather yourself to cause another win.  Then do it again in rapid fire.  That’s what causes the “great winning”.  We overcome our folly by making it a habit of doing what’s right.  That’s what is in that vase my friend.  Even if you poured the entire contents on your head it would still result in a singular win.  And you know that’s not enough.

Stop looking to gain the great prize of righteousness in one fell swoop.  Start forcing yourself to learn to win in tiny things.  And do these in rapid fire.  I say “forcing” because you and I both know we don’t really want to be well.  We just think we do.

Is it time to do the dishes?  Then get your ragged butt up and go do them.  Is it time to do the laundry?  Then get up and walk to the washer.  Do you want to learn about something?  Then go look for resources.  Did the thought cross your mind to go pray?  Then get off your duff and find a place quiet to kneel!  You don’t have to say much.  Just go!  The next time you “hear” that urging, do it again!  This is how to gain that “Great Win”.  And you’ve known it all along.

Stop blaming and start walking.  He healed your noodle legs by leaving that vase of hope with you.  You were smart enough to put it in a place where you’d pass it often enough to notice it.  See, it’s not what’s in the vase that causes you hope.  It’s the very fact that you know about Him.

It is quite possible that the man healed, so that he could walk, went away and played like he couldn’t walk anyway.  He might have even come back to the pool and just lay down.  He missed the way people cared for him.  And he allowed himself to live a lie like you and I do.  Well, it’s possible isn’t it?  It’s your life.  It’s your responsibility to do what is right.  Dishes, laundry, learning, and prayer don’t get themselves done.  It takes an attitude change.  It’s your attitude.  Change it or don’t.  It’s your choice.

Now, this post wouldn’t be complete without these things:

This “winning” applies to all aspects of the Gospel.  Immorality – just don’t do it.  Lies – shut your mouth.  Stealing – keep your grubby hands off it.  Speeding – lift your foot off the gas.  Arriving on time – leave.  Forgiveness – offer it and do it.  Saving money – don’t spend it.  Giving to charity – hand over the cash.  You see how hard it’s not?  Just because I didn’t mention your particular sin here doesn’t mean the “just do it” doesn’t apply.

Every aspect of the Gospel comes down to a singular choice all day long every day and every year.  If you’ve asked the Son of God to become your Lord, then you’ve been set free from the necessity and stupor of sin.  The choice is ours individually.  How do you get to a holy life?  One action at a time is the path.  Inaction is to refuse to do what is right.  If you want eternal life, then go do what is right to do now.  Hope will come to live in you as you obey.  Begin with the tiny things.  Learn to do them on a consistent basis.  Then the larger things will appear much smaller.  It’s kind of like making a mole hill out of a mountain, one handful of dirt at a time.  You might not finish reducing that mountain of sin in this life.  But make sure you get caught trying.