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Do You Want to Get Well?

God’s Word has the power to speak to us, individually, no matter the situation or circumstance we face. I experienced this first-hand while I was sitting in a Sunday school class, and we were studying the book of John. When we came to John 5:5-6, the words seemed to leap off the page.

“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?’”

All at once, it felt like Jesus was asking me this very same question, “Rae Lynn, do you want to get well?”

Sometimes when we have been ill for a very long time, the illness becomes such a part of us, we can’t imagine life without it.

In my case, bulimia had been part of my daily life for so long; I couldn’t fathom how I could ever be free from it. I have since come to believe, when Jesus asks the question, “Do you want to get well?” He is really asking, “Are you ready and willing to give your problem completely over to me, making the necessary changes in your life in order to experience my healing? Are you prepared to accept the challenges and life changes that will arise once you surrender it over to me?” In other words, we need to be spiritually receptive to God’s divine touch before we can experience complete healing.

In the late 1990’s, a film came out called, At First Sight. The drama paralleled the true story of Shirl Jennings, a man who lost his eyesight at a young age. Shirl had adapted to his disability and lived a normal life. Then, after living with blindness forty years, Shirl was given an opportunity to regain his sight through an experimental surgical procedure.

Although the surgery was a success, Shirl had a difficult time adjusting to his new way of life. He struggled to process the information he was receiving through his restored vision. Everything previously learned had been filtered through his other four senses: hearing, touch, taste, and smell. He had to relearn everything all over again through his new sensory input—sight.

The adaptations Shirl endured following his surgery success shadow real-life consequences we may encounter when recovering from a stronghold. Change is hard. It requires a new way of perceiving the world around us.

When I was struggling to overcome bulimia, I needed to understand that food is not the enemy, but a necessity for my body to function properly. Unlike other addictions, food was not something I could simply remove from my life. I had to allow God to change my attitude surrounding it.

While in bondage, my sense of value as a person had become warped. I had an erroneous belief that people would only love and accept me based on my appearance. That was a lie, a lie the enemy used to keep me blinded to the truth.

It definitely took some time, but God eventually revealed the truth of who I am and how He sees me through Scriptures like these:

“Listen, O daughter, consider and give ear: Forget your people and your father’s house. The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord” (Psalm 45:10-12).

“The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

Don’t let the enemy blind you from the truth any longer. God wants to transform you from the inside out.

Personal Reflection

• Do you want to get well?
• If so, what practical steps can you take to experience freedom once and for all?
• What is your greatest fear about letting go of control?

Prayer

Thank you, Jesus, for giving me free-will. You want what is best for me, but you will not force me to change. I want you to help me through this process of healing, Lord. I want to get well, but I cannot do it alone. Please give me the courage and strength to let go. I want to surrender it over to you, I really do, but I need you to guide me step-by-step. Amen.