Would You Like to Get Well?
“Would you like to get well?”
That is a powerful question.
At first, it sounds simple. Most of us would quickly say, “Of course I want to get well.” But if we slow down, the question becomes more personal.
Where do you need healing?
Maybe it is physical.
Maybe it is emotional.
Maybe it is spiritual.
Maybe it is relational.
Maybe it is an area of hidden sin, fear, anxiety, bitterness, shame, loneliness, or discouragement.
The truth is, in one way or another, we all need healing. Romans 3:23 says:
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
— Romans 3:23, NLT
We are all affected by sin, brokenness, pain, and life in a fallen world. That means spiritual and emotional healing is not just for “other people.” It is something every honest person must eventually face.
Jesus Asked a Healing Question
In John 5, Jesus meets a man near the pool of Bethesda. This man had been sick for 38 years. He had lived with his condition for so long that it had become part of his story, his
identity, and his daily reality.
John 5 tells us:
When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, ‘Would you like to get well?’
— John 5:6, NLT
That is a fascinating question.
Jesus knew the man was sick. Jesus knew he had suffered for a long time. Jesus knew what the man needed. Yet He still asked, “Would you like to get well?”
Why?
Because healing often requires more than desire. It requires honesty, faith, humility, and a willingness to respond.
Sometimes We Explain Instead of Respond
The man answered Jesus by explaining why he could not get well.
He said:
I can’t, sir, for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.
— John 5:7, NLT
His response was understandable. He had been stuck for a long time. He had real limitations. He had real disappointments. He had probably experienced years of frustration and discouragement.
But Jesus did not ask him, “Why are you still stuck?”
Jesus asked, “Would you like to get well?”
Many of us do the same thing. When God begins to touch an area of our life that needs healing, we explain.
Jesus Heals a Man by the Pool of Bethesda
“I can’t.”
“It has been this way too long.”
“No one helped me.”
“I have tried before.”
“This is just who I am.”
“You do not understand what happened to me.”
Some of those statements may contain real pain. But if we are not careful, our explanations can become barriers to growth.
Healing Requires Humility
James 4 gives us a picture of humility before God:
Come close to God, and God will come close to you.
— James 4:8, NLT
And then James says:
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.
— James 4:10, NLT
Humility is not self-hatred. Humility is honesty.
Humility says, “God, this is where I am.”
Humility says, “I cannot heal this by pretending.”
Humility says, “I need help.”
Humility says, “I am willing to bring this into the light.”
Spiritual and emotional healing often begins when we stop hiding and start telling the truth.
Healing Often Happens in Relationship
James 5 gives another important part of the healing process:
Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.
— James 5:16, NLT
That verse is both beautiful and uncomfortable.
Most of us would prefer private healing. We want God to fix us quietly, quickly, and without needing to involve anyone else.
But God often uses healthy relationships as part of the healing process.
Confession brings hidden things into the light. Prayer invites God into the struggle. Safe relationships provide support, accountability, wisdom, and encouragement.
This does not mean we share everything with everyone. Wisdom matters. Safety matters. But someone needs to know the truth about what is really happening inside of us.
We Often Want a Quick Fix
When we are hurting, we often want the fastest possible solution.
Give me a pill.
Give me a prescription.
Give me a quick fix.
Give me three easy steps.
Give me relief by tomorrow.
There are certainly times when medical care, counseling, medication, or professional treatment are necessary and wise. Seeking help is not a lack of faith. It can be an act of wisdom and stewardship.
But when it comes to deep spiritual and emotional healing, there is usually no shortcut around humility, honesty, confession, prayer, responsibility, and wise support.
Healing is often a process.
And that process usually begins with the same question Jesus asked:
Would you like to get well?
A Few Questions to Examine Your Life
Socrates famously said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.”
That is worth considering.
Take time this week to examine your life honestly before God.
Ask yourself:
- Where do I need spiritual and emotional healing?
- What pain, sin, fear, or resentment have I been hiding?
- Where have I been making excuses instead of taking responsibility?
- What would it look like for me to humble myself before God?
- Who is a safe, mature person I could talk with and ask to pray for me?
- What is one faithful step I can take toward healing this week?
You do not have to have everything figured out. But you do need to take the next step.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
If you feel stuck, discouraged, spiritually dry, or emotionally overwhelmed, you do not have to walk through it alone.
Christian life coaching can help you slow down, examine what is happening inside of you, clarify your next steps, and build a practical plan for growth. Coaching is not a replacement for medical care or professional counseling when those are needed, but it can be a powerful support for personal growth, spiritual clarity, emotional health, and purposeful action.
If you are ready to stop drifting and start taking intentional steps forward, I would be glad to help.
Schedule a free consultation today and take your next step toward spiritual and emotional healing.
Email: talk@terry-porter.com
Call: 231-499-9069
Terry Porter is a pastor, speaker, and relationship coach.
About Terry Porter
Terry Porter is a relationship and leadership coach who helps individuals, couples, and leaders grow in clarity, ownership, faith, and healthy relationships.
