So This Is Life?

I'm hungry for a word from God today. How bout you? Welcome to the conversation! Let's take a moment to quiet ourselves, clear our heads, ask God to open our minds and hearts and then, and only then...jump right in. Today I'm inviting you to listen to the voice of the Son of God in the first 30 verses of John 5.

So Jesus heals a man who had been paralyzed for 38 years! First, I'm struck by what the man said to Jesus prior to the miracle:

"I have no one to help me..." (v. 7).

He's not the only one in that situation, sadly. Besides the countless people who live in obvious need there are also the many who are secretly desperate, who feel their lives unraveling and don't know what to do or where to turn. They feel so alone. They look totally normal. In fact, by looking at them and their stuff, you'd think they have it all together. But their reality is something very different.

When the Jewish religious leaders disapprove of his actions and confront Jesus for breaking the rules about working on the Sabbath, the day of rest, Jesus has this to say:

"My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working." (v. 17)

In other words, anytime is the right time to join in the work of God. God is always active...always. He is still working in his world. And he's still working in your life and mine right now. He's working in the lives of people I know, and those I don't know. Wherever we go in the world, in the marketplace, God is already there working. And what's that work about?

"For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.... I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. ...[A] time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. (v. 21, 24-25)

Do you hear it? Life. This isn't just talking about afterlife. Notice the present tense. Jesus brings wholeness. He brings life to the walking dead. And that's what people are apart from God. They eat, breathe, sleep, work and find countless ways to escape life. That is hardly Life.

So count me all in on this Life you're offering, Jesus. But what do I do with it? I want my life to beat in rhythm with yours, and you are all about doing the work of God. How can I join you in that?

It's pretty simple, really. This wholeness involves caring for their physical needs, eliminating whatever suffering we can. Imagine the relief of being healed from almost four decades of paralysis! I can't work miracles but I can let the plight of suffering people touch my heart and do something to help. But more than that, the work of God is about bringing people into spiritual life. Jesus told the man afterwards that sin was the worse disease threatening his well-being, blocking him from Life. I want to do the same and point people to the Healer. A lot of them just need someone to steer them in the right direction. Jesus will help me do that.

I'm so thankful for the wholeness that Jesus has brought to my mind, my heart, my relationships, especially my relationship with God. And now I join him in his work, as do all who follow Jesus, looking for evidence of where he's at work and joining him there. You can, too. Just look. The opportunities are all around you.

Please consider sharing this post to your Facebook page. One of your friends may be looking for Life. And share your reflections on what God is saying to you below. Thanks!