Do You Wish To Get…Organized?
Why do you think Jesus asked the man who was paralyzed, “Do you wish to get well..?” in John 5:6?
My first thought is, “Of course he wanted to get well! He’d been paralyzed for thirty-eight years.” Then it is interesting that the man answered Him with reasons why he can’t get well, why he can’t get down to the pool.
What if I asked you, Do you wish to…
Get organized?
Be your ideal weight?
Love your husband?
What would be your answer?
Sometimes we pray and really want to change but we go on struggling with the issue for years.
Why is this?
What is your issue?
Write down one issue you are struggling with. If it is a relationship, home disorganization, weight, or a financial goal, just choose one for now.
Sometimes we need to ask the obvious questions so we can see what’s going on.
Ask yourself, “Why am I still struggling with this issue?”
Write all the answers that come up. These are all your reasons – or excuses – and that’s okay. Write them all down.
Don’t judge the things you write down. They just need to be out in the open for you to look at them. Ask the question again and let all the stuff inside your brain come out on the paper. Write down anything that pops into your mind.
Allow God to clean out all the stuff. Seeing it on paper exposes it, brings it into the light. Empty your mind without any judgment.
Why else is this still an issue for YOU?
Write some more.
The next step – A decision: Do you wish to get well?
After you spend time looking over your reasons, maybe you’ll find you need to repent of something. Maybe forgiveness for someone is needed, maybe time in prayer is needed or maybe a promise needs to be claimed from scripture.
After that, allow yourself time to decide if you really “wish to get well.”
Are you really willing to do what it takes?
Am I really willing to make the hard choices?
If the decision was to get your home organized, start by asking yourself, “Am I willing to keep going, to not give up, to not quit, until my home is organized?”
Wanting the result is one thing, but being willing to feel the negative emotion to get there, is another. Being willing to create new habits and routines takes work. Being willing to change old brain patterns takes time and practice.
Ask yourself:
Am I willing to feel tired and keep my closet organizing appointment, that I made on my calendar, instead of crashing on the couch to watch Netflix or zone out on social media?
Am I willing to feel loss as I make decisions to let things go?
What about failure as I try to create a routine, forget one day, keep going the next, fail the next, keep going, keep trying?
Am I willing to feel humbled and ask for help?
Am I willing to feel scared and invest money (for things like coaching or organizing help) to become an organized person?
If you ARE willing to feel all the emotions you WILL reach your goal.
One of my coaching clients said that when she got home the other night she wanted to relax and watch television. But if she did that first, she knew she wouldn’t get through her paper pile she had assigned herself to sort and purge. She REALLY didn’t want to work on her paper but she did it anyway. She was willing to be uncomfortable to reach her goal of becoming an organized person.
Ask this one question continuously.
Filter your thoughts and actions through this one question, “What choice would an organized person make?”
Then, take the next best action.
Imagine Jesus asking you, “Do you wish to get well?”
If the answer is yes, then…
Be willing to take the next best action.
Be open to feel the next negative emotion.
Believe that Jesus can help you become the person you want to become. Nothing is impossible.
