Stand Up, Do Not Give Up

Introduction

Typically when people are dealing with an issue for an extended period of time, we assume that they have tried everything they could to get better. What if we looked at them with sincerity and understanding that no one may have helped them and use it as an opportunity to be a blessing to someone.

One the other hand you may be struggling with something right now, something you have struggled with for years and today is the day that you decide not to give up. As a church why do we teach Jesus if we are not going to act like him? Sometimes life has you so disfigured that you are unable to stand tall. Many of us are look for our life to be straightened out but there are situations in our life that only Jesus can straighten out for us.

Imagine being in this predicament. Her back was hunched, I imagine that she spent the majority of her life staring at the ground except when she was laying on her side. I imagine she walked at a slow pace, I imagine that there were pleasantries of life that many people take for granted that she could not do. 18 years is a long time to deal with an ailment that hinders you physical capabilities and hinders you mentally and spiritually.

Background

begins by explaining that Jesus was teaching in the synagogue on the Sabbath, this was a regular occurence of Jesus as we know that he spent a lot of time even from his pre-teen years teaching and reasoning in the synagogues with his people.

The teachings of Jesus should promote that we serve one another, not treat the spiritual dispositions and physical limitations of people as a distraction of what we should be giving God in the first place.

Our worship should be a reflection of our servant hearts that we have. We lose sight of what the church should be for in the first place. The keepers of the law saw tradition over the needs of the people. Sometimes we come to church or we assemble for one purpose but sometimes God is bringing folks together to meet the needs of someone who is on the brink of giving up.

18 years she could not stand up. 18 years she spend looking down at the group. We complain about the sun in our eyes, this woman would have seen it as a blessing. Every day, every week, for 18 years she walked with her head down and the inability to stand upright.

Maybe you do not have a spinal deformity but I believe we can relate, I believe we can see ourselves in this story. We have experienced back breaking trials that make up hang our head, or feel stuck in life. Here we are downtrodden and helpless without hope.

Although this woman’s ailment was physical, many of us have been dealing with demons that keep our spirit hunched over.

Verbal and physical abuse.

Financial woes

Sickness

People refusing to identify you as the creation that God has made and hold you down to their standard.

Typically when we have been dealing with issues for so very long, we’ve tried books, bible studies, counseling and nothing seems to straighten out our life. When you get ready to give up, try to look up. Jesus is right there.

Jesus is ready to heal you on your Sabbath, even though folks at the church are telling you to wait, Jesus is saying right now! Who cares if you are disturbing someone’s worship to see Jesus, who cares if your testimony causes someone to miss their reservation at the cracker barrel, who cares if giving you life to Christ employs people to sit a little bit longer, stay a little bit later. Are we here for ourselves or are we here for the Jesus and to show Jesus to somebody who is ready to give up.

We’ve become consumer driven and not service minded.

We will accept the teachings of Jesus but reject the duty.

Worship should encourage work, it should prevent grace and mercy but invite it.

Do Not Give Up

When people interrupt your praise because of their preference, keep your eyes fixed on Jesus. Being a kingdom woman is not just about going to church, or being busy in a ministry. It is about being connected with God. If the ruler of the synagogue was connected to God he would not have questioned helping someone regardless of what day it is.

See we are quick to question the healing of others but let it be our family!

This woman was at church, and I imagine it was not her first time. I imagine people had watched her walk in without the inability to straighten up. She prayed and could become straight, she sang songs and praised God and couldn’t straighten up, she gave and heard sermons but nothing changed.

It is safe to say that coming to church did not help her, all it did was help her learn how to settle. When we do not help folks like Jesus helped folks we teach them that the church is a settlement rather than a place of empowerment.

When you give up you settle, the kingdom woman does not settle on her past she is empowered by the ability to stand straight up in the presence of Jesus.

God does not straighten your life out for you to settle on your mountain of problems.

18 years is a long time to suffer, but Jesus died for more than you to just settle. Jesus not only wants to help you stand but he wants to free you to stand forever.

18 years tells me that we can go to church for a very long time and still not meet Jesus. Some of us are in the right place today but will leave not meeting Jesus.

Here’s what needs to be understood. Think about your problems, reflect on your problems and understand that Satan might be causing some of your problems.

If Satan is the cause of your problem no friend can offer advice to solve a problem brought to you by satan. Coping with Satan with Satan does not work either, meditation on Jesus is key, medicating your problems with drinking and unhealthy ways to cope will never solve a problem. Jesus is the only one that can conquer Satan and his traps.

You can’t shop your way out of this ailment, food might taste good but Jesus still needs to be met. If Jesus is just a routine, your ailments will never be healed. It is routine for many of us to come to church, but is it routine for us to connect and build a relationship with Jesus that will allow us to stand up and be freed from our infirmities.