Daily Devo
Are We Willing To Change?
By: Lisa Hodgins
Tuesday, January 14, 2025
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Hebrews 12:1
Recently, I read a devotional from Pastor Greg Laurie that focused on a story about healing from John 5:2-8. That story is about a disabled man who didn't have any real hope. The story says people would lie by the pool of Bethesda, believing that when the water stirred, it was done by angels. Jewish tradition said the first person first into the water would be healed. The man's problem was he had no one to help him into the water.
But one day, everything changed! He was lying there as usual, and Jesus showed up. Next, Jesus asked him a very interesting question: “Would you like to get well?” Greg Laurie said he wouldn’t be surprised if this man's reply went something like this, "What kind of question is that? Why do you think I’m lying here? I'm discouraged, but I hope someone will help me get to the water first when the angel touches it." Actually, Jesus asked a very good question... Why? Because not every person wants to change. Not every alcoholic wants to stop being an alcoholic, and not every drug addict wants to stop being a drug addict. To truly change, you must WANT to change!
Pastor Greg went on to say, "Maybe you’re thinking, 'Look, you just don’t understand... addiction runs in my family. My mother was an addict and so were my grandparents. In our family, it just passes from one generation to the next.' Let me just say that my mother was an alcoholic too, and she was married and divorced seven times. However, I’m not an alcoholic, and I’ve been married for 46 years. But I’m not boasting about what I did. It’s what God did. And He can do that for you as well. Christ can break the cycle of sin in your life."
Maybe you're not struggling with addiction, but does it seem like something is missing in your life? Or like the man in that story, has your hope faded? Do you want to be made whole? Christ wants to restore your hope and set you free from anything that has you in bondage. If you want to really change, start by making Jesus a priority. Then, ask Him to help you put aside anything that is holding back your spiritual growth.
Want to change? Seek Jesus, put Him first, and ask Him to help you!
Read: John 5:2-8, Ezekiel 36:26, 2 Corinthians 5:17