Don't tread

So I'm reading john 5:1-9 and I thinking about the guy trying to get healing an everytime he gets close, because he's by himself and handicapped, someone cuts in front of him. 

Can you imagine? Everytime you get close, someone cuts in front of you? Ugh. I'm sure there would be some choice words coming out of my mouth.

AND people are coming out of the water and not helping him! What in the world?! 

But what if we had people in our life that we didn't love and tell about Jesus? I mean really, we've been healed and yet we walk right on by those we love and don't help them to get healing. Honestly, I'm probably guilty of this sometimes. I don't know what to say, people have weird thoughts about what it means to be a Christian. Well, I'm here to tell you, a lot of Christians are weird. And speaking for myself, hypocritical. I talk about loving people but sometimes I just want to sock someone in the mouth when I'm hurt. And I'm not always the best at loving people the way they need to be loved. I hate those things about me. I'm a jerk. 

I mean I have people I love who post things about Christians and I'm not sure if I missed the boat and upset them or they are talking about someone else. Either way, I'm sorry that I or someone else was a poor example of what it means to love Jesus because they know about Him through us. 

After reading this passage, I'm thinking and going to work on not leaving people behind. Loving them right where they are at, and loving them enough not to leave them there.

Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” “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.” 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. The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, (John 5:1-3, 5-9 NIV)

Comments

Ceil said…
Hi Margie! So nice to have found your site!

You make a really good point, and a good action in response. I hope that I have never upset anyone with my faith, or speaking out about it. I do blog about it too. But that would be just the opposite effect that I would want!

Choosing to 'not leave anyone behind' is so noble and beautiful, I know that the Lord could not refuse that. And he loves you for it too.

What an uplifting post for me today :)
Ceil