see your circumstances—not by the
circumstances themselves.”
Our encounter with Jeff made quite
the impression that day—not just on
my son but on me as well.
Presumably a military veteran, our new
friend Jeff had lost half his leg and
consequently had to adjust to life with
this new limitation. While many people
might be tempted to feel entitled to
take shortcuts, this young man had
taken the opposite direction. He
refused to see himself as a victim of
circumstances.
Our tendency for dependency is nothing
new. Throughout His public ministry
Christ encountered people who often
felt trapped by their circumstances or
limited by their wounds. He frequently
healed people suffering from physical,
mental, and spiritual maladies. And
with His love, power, and grace, Jesus
exploded their excuses and ignited
32 • Solutions
their initiative to live by faith, not by
sight. His encounter with a man who
could not walk—and who apparently
did not recognize Jesus—is brief
and dramatic but carries enormous
implications and applica¬tion for our
lives today.
When Jesus saw him lying there, and
knew that he had been in that condition
now a long time, He said to him, “Do
you want to be healed?”
The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have
no one to put me into the pool when the
water is stirred. But while I am coming,
another steps down before me.”
Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your
bed and walk.” Immediately the man
was healed, took up his bed, and walked.
John 5:6-9 MEV.
Can you relate to the kind of situation
where you depend on someone else or
something else for your life to change?