‘So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said,

“Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!” And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, “We’ve never seen anything like this before!” 

Mark 2:10-12

Jesus is who He says He is. He has been given all authority on earth and in heaven (Matthew 28:18), and over and over throughout Scripture, we see that authority. Jesus healed the man, but He didn’t pick him up. He gave a command, and He expected the man to do his part. But sometimes we just sit around on our mats and wait for miracles. We ask Him to intervene in the circumstances of our lives, but we are often unwilling to do our part. We want the miracle without the work. 

Where do you need to stand up in obedience and do the work God has called you to do? Where do you need to stand up in spite of the fear and do the right thing? Which habits or fears are keeping you paralyzed? Perhaps you just need to stand up and take that step of faith, pushing right through the fear. Jesus is expecting you to “pick up your mat” and do the work He has given you to do. Maybe you pray for the salvation of loved ones, but you haven’t personally told them about the God you serve and shared your testimony. Perhaps you pray for a relationship to improve, but you haven’t shown the love and grace Jesus continually shows you. Make sure your actions back up your faith. Show people the miracles Jesus can do through you when you stand up, pick up your mat, and do the work He has given you to do.

You are deeply loved!