Hey there this is a new week with new opportunities. May God bless you and that you’ll find favour in the sight of God and men. Today I’m going to talk about friends (friendship), it could be the next upcoming series but for now just this one topic. Today’s topic is ” I’m fine “.
Sometimes we find ourself in a pit, in a condition where we need help. We need people to carry us to Jesus, so that He can forgive us (again) and heal us from our lameness. There is a remarkable story being told in the bible about a man that was paralyzed.
Mark 2:1-3 “A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2 They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. 3 Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them” .
Some men came (four of them), assuming they were his friends, they came carrying the paralyzed man. First off all they knew the man, the knew his condition and together they knew he needs Jesus. So even the people had gathered in large numbers and the fact that there was no room left, not even outside the door, it didn’t stop them.
I must say I’m very happy with my surroundings. My husband covers me as I cover him. I have friends “Sisters” that know me for who I am and they are willing to stand by me whatever it takes. We cover each other in prayer, when we need to say something that may have hurt or we just didn’t like the way something happened, it doesn’t make us feel offended by it or less. We forgive, we seek options, we talk things through and we move one. We grow closer. We don’t just give up on the friendship because we didn’t like certain things. Everyday we have we get know each other better and know how every character is. I’m happy with leaders that will cover me in prayer and hear me out as I cover them in prayer and hear them out. (I guess I needed to get this part out as well) But coming back to the main topic the bible continues saying in
Mark 2:4-5 “4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
So these four men made an opening in the roof and then lowered the mat the man was laying on. Again the recognised the condition there friend was in, they knew they couldn’t do nothing but to bring him to Jesus. The text says when Jesus saw their faith.. meaning that He didn’t see the paralyzed man his faith but all of them who were their with him. So this man is making an entrance through to roof thanks to his friends and now the continuation..
Mark 2:6-12 “6 Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7 “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
8 Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? 9 Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? 10 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, 11 “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 12 He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
There will always be critic, you see Jesus was explaining Himself to the teachers, clarifying their thoughts! And the text continuing by saying that Jesus told the man to get up, to take his mat and to go home. And the man did all what Jesus commanded him an walked out in full view of them all. Everyone amazed and now praising God.
I love this story because:
- Entrance: the man was lowered through to roof, because he was paralyzed. He couldn’t do it himself and needed friends who can bring him somewhere.
- Exit: He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. (You see first he needed help but now he is fine. He can carry the mat himself
“The mat used to carry me in, but now I am getting up and will carry it out.”
- Entrance: He needed his friends to help him get to Jesus
- Exit: Now he is fine, he doesn’t need help.
“I need to be able to tell you I’m fine, without you getting offended by it”
This story could’ve be completely different if the friends were in the same condition as the paralyzed man. Who would’ve carry whom. None of them would have been able to help one and other.
When look at the process of the hospital;
- It starts by you getting checked in (by loved ones, people that care about your health),
- The second thing you know you are being placed into a room with other sick patience and on that floor we are all sick.
Therefore you have nurses and doctors that are trying their very hard best to help you out of the condition you are in and up to your feed so you can get checked out and go home. It will cost the hospital a lot if you stay in for a long time, it may also cost another their life cause there is no place to check them in. So if we are sick and gather with sick people we are just a group of sick people. After a while it becomes normal that everyone associated to that group is someone with any kind of sickness
- So that is why the final step is to get you in a good condition where you go home and be checked out of the hospital.
It is proven that if people are in environment where they feel at home they tend to get well faster or live longer than to stay into the hospital.
But to come back to the point where you to have friends that are able to set aside differences and needs to see you of good. And when you are good you now can help others get well as well.
It is not for nothing that Psalms 1:1 says “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers,..”
It is very important to know who you are connected to, what they can bring to the table! You need to be yourself while with them without it comprising the fact that when you need to speak up you can’t really say what is on your because it may affect the relationship. If we are friends and I can’t tell you about something that doesn’t fit, why we are friends than? It’s a question that needs to be considerate in every relationship.
Often you see in films and movies if an operation has been compromised that they need the abort the mission. In this case the Chief Commander is God and if you need to say something and you can’t because of the consequences you need to rethink the position you are in and abort the friendship. You are being held back and can’t grow and move forward like this. Sometimes it is necessary to let some people go, they fulfilled their purpose in your life.
If I can say something to you, without it making you quit me , you aren’t for me. And if I can’t correct you without you leaving me, you aren’t for me.
“Don’t hold on unto someone that wasn’t supposed to stay in your life forever.”
Are just going to keep on weeping on what was and isn’t or will you walk with what is?
“Don’t mourn longer than you need to. Move on..”
God has a plan and purpose for you (Jeremiah 29:11 “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”🙂 and it may notplay out the way you expected it. But remember Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose.”
Thank God for friendship!
God bless you and keep you.
Shaina Li Domitilia- Margaritha
Shaina Domitilia 