We have all been there. January 1st rolls around, and we are ready to unlock the better version of ourselves. We might call it “Me 2.0.” We set the goals, buy the equipment, and maybe even try the latest wellness fads from red light therapy masks to extreme new diets.
There is nothing wrong with wanting to be healthier or more productive. But if we are honest, there is often an “it” in our lives that a new gym membership or a better schedule just cannot reach.
Identifying the “It”
The “it” is that internal weight we carry into every new year. For some, it is a persistent feeling of not being good enough. For others, it is anxiety, loneliness, or an addiction we have been trying to shake for years. We hope that if we just change our external circumstances, the internal struggle will disappear.
But external fads will never fix internal fractures.
True change requires something deeper than a new habit; it requires a renovation of the soul.
A Different Kind of Question
In the Gospel of John, Jesus approaches a man who had been disabled for 38 years. He was sitting by a pool called Bethesda, hoping for a miracle. Jesus looks at him and asks a question that seems almost offensive: “Do you want to get well?”.
It seems like an obvious “yes,” but for many of us, we have become comfortable in our “un-wellness.” We have built our lives around our struggles. Getting well means changing our identity, and that can be a terrifying prospect.
Three Steps Toward Wholeness
If you feel stuck in a cycle of trying and failing to change, the story of the man at the pool offers three practical shifts in perspective:
1. Stop Looking in the Wrong Place
The man in the story was staring at the water, waiting for a physical stir to heal him. He was so focused on the “method” that he almost missed the Healer standing right in front of him. We often do the same by looking to money, relationships, or career success to fix our internal ache.
2. Choose Courage Over Comfort
Saying “yes” to Jesus takes immense courage. It means stepping out of the familiar and into a life where you no longer have the “it” as an excuse for why you are stuck. It is a step of faith that requires us to trust His power more than our own history.
3. Embrace the Awkwardness
This man had not walked in nearly four decades. When he finally stood up, his first steps were likely shaky and strange. Spiritual growth is the same way. When you start following Jesus or practicing new disciplines, it will feel awkward at first. You might stumble. That is not a sign of failure; it is a sign of new life.
The Path Forward
Discipleship is not about a quick fix or a 30 day challenge. It is the process of allowing Jesus to renovate your life from the inside out. This year, instead of just chasing a “new you,” consider chasing the one who can make you whole.
What is one step you can take today? Maybe it is simply being honest with God about your “it” and asking Him for the courage to get well. He is standing right there, ready to help you take that first, awkward step.
