Get Up Off The Tack

“Then Jesus said to him, ‘Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.’ At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.” - John 5:8-9


There was a story once told of a man who decided to take a break after a long walk in the park. He found a bench to take the load off his feet, but when he sat down, he sat on a tack which caused him a great deal of pain. After yelling, several people passed by and noticed that he was in a great deal of discomfort.

One of the people passing by was a sociologist who wanted to understand the societal influences that led the man to sit on the tack; but at the end of his research, the man was still in pain. An economist came by and wanted to study the opportunity cost associated with missed time from work; but at the end of the day, the man was still in pain on that tack.

A psychologist then passed by and wanted to know how the man felt about being on the tack; but after the therapy session, the man was still in pain. An evangelist came by and told the man to give thanks for the Lord, for He is good; but after doing so the man was still in pain.

Later that afternoon, after school had let out, one of the children walking home observed the man languishing in pain. She didn’t know much about economics, sociology, psychology, or theology, but she did see something she thought might help. She said, “Sir, I saw you here this morning when I went to school, and you are still here in pain on my way home. Why don’t just get up off the tack?”

The story seeks to illustrate the fact that oftentimes what constrains and restrains us is within our control more than we think. And if we can begin to think differently about where we are, who we are, and what we are going through, then with the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit, we can literally turn our lives completely around. We just have to get up off the tack!