What's holding you back?

Do you ever feel as if you're not going anywhere? Do you surround yourself with negative people? No matter how hard you try to stay away from that same familiar spirit you always seem to find them, or they find you? It could be something little as lying, backstabbing,always wanting to start trouble. Maybe fornication, lust, pornography only God knows. These could be some of the things that are holding you back from being what God wants you to be.

There was a certain man at the pool of Bethesda (John chapter 5). He had an issue, he had been sick for thirty eight years. Thirty eight years is a long time to be sick. "When Jesus saw lie, He knew that he had been now for a long time, in that case, He asked him, Wilt thou be made whole! The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me." (v. 5-6)

There would be an angel that would come once a year and trouble or stir the waters, the first to step in were healed.

"Jesus saith unto him, Rise take up thy bed and walk. And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed and walked: and on the same day it was the Sabbath" (v. 8-9)

When the man took up his bed and walked it was to show what God had done for Him, not that he had to be carried anymore. The bed had been holding him up, now he was holding the bed up.

Faith without works is dead. What kind of people do you hang around with? Do you have people who are their to feed of you spiritually, or are you being fed by them. Do you surround yourself by people of faith or people of wavering faith. Wavering faith is being sure one moment then changing your mind the next. Do you surround yourself with people who are sick. Critical, negative, jealous, envious, or in a social system of disfunction. Is your environment holding you back?

Be careful the environment you choose for it will shape you; be careful the friends you choose for you will become like them. - W. Clement Stone

Jesus is all you need! Let Him take control of the wheel.