Tap Into Your Thought Life

“‘Sir,’ the invalid replied, ‘I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.’” - John 5:7


If you have stayed with us the last couple of days, we have discussed the man by the pool in John 5. While the story appears to be about the man’s physical condition, what Jesus is trying to do is change the man’s mindset to unlock so much more within the man’s life.

So when Jesus asked the man, “Do you want to be made well?” he is trying to get the man, as well as us today, to tap into the power our thought life has in shaping our future. This fresh look at the problem at the pool suggests that you and I might have more power within us than we think. That is what Jesus was trying to say to the man then and us now, that if you change your mind, you can change your situation.

It is important to reiterate that if you view your problem through the prism of a different lens, you could literally turn things around. This man got the breakthrough he needed because he changed his mind. He needed healing and was desperately in need of deliverance, and it happened because he changed his mind. And if he could do it after 38 years of a sit-in, in that sad situation, then you can as well.

So when Jesus arrives on the scene, he asks the man the direct and provocative question, “Do you want to be made well?” While it may sound ridiculous to pose such a question to anyone who needs help, it is actually a necessary and relevant question to ask a person who may have become satisfied in and with their situation.

Rather than settling and becoming content with your context and being relegated to your current reality, John says you can turn it around. But you have to change your mind. In verse 7 the man responds to Jesus, “‘Sir,’ the invalid replied, ‘I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.’”

He is caught up in his circumstances. Are you caught up in yours? It might be time to change your mind.

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