There are seasons in life when just getting out of bed feels like a victory.
For those battling depression, discouragement, grief, or emotional exhaustion, life can begin to feel like standing still while everyone else moves forward. Hope feels distant. Motivation fades. The future seems unclear. Many people find themselves asking, "Will things ever change?"
In the Gospel of John, we find a powerful story that speaks to this struggle.
Near the Pool of Bethesda lay a man who had been crippled for thirty-eight years. Day after day, year after year, he sat by the pool hoping for healing. He watched others receive what he longed for. He had become accustomed to disappointment, accustomed to waiting, accustomed to life on his mat.
When Jesus approached him, He asked a surprising question:
"Do you want to get well?" (John 5:6)
The man immediately began explaining why healing had not happened. He had reasons. He had obstacles. He had years of disappointment behind him. In many ways, his identity had become intertwined with his condition. The victim. In a victim flesh tendency we tend to make excuses instead of taking action or taking a step of Faith. We tend to get comfortable in the misery and can’t imagine it not being a part of our lives. Much like the Israelite’s who had escaped Egypt yet they were tempted to go back to the bondage of Egypt just because it was familiar. The new path God has for you will require willingness, belief and taking a step of faith. It is not going to be found in analyzing, waiting on a feeling of motivation or relying on someone else. Our only Hope will be found in Jesus Christ.
Then Jesus spoke words that changed everything:
"Rise, take up your mat and walk." (John 5:8)
Jesus did not first remove every obstacle. He did not explain the future. He did not provide a detailed plan. He simply invited the man to respond in faith.
The command to "rise" was more than a physical instruction—it was an invitation to a new way of living.
Today, depression can feel like that mat.
The mat may be hopeless thoughts, emotional numbness, fear, shame, isolation, exhaustion, or a belief that nothing will ever change. Over time, people can become so accustomed to carrying these burdens that they begin to believe the burden defines them.
But Jesus still asks, "Do you want to be made well?"
And He still says, "Rise."
This does not mean depression disappears instantly. Healing is often a process. Wise counseling, supportive relationships, healthy habits, medical care, and prayer can all be important parts of recovery. Yet there is something powerful about responding to Christ's invitation to take one step forward, even when we do not feel strong.
A sermon on the topic said: “We are masters at putting our faith into creating programs, designing systems that commit to our own ill-fated self-powered, saving. Putting our faith in things that continuously architect our failed attempts at real growth, true betterment, or authentic discipleship. The danger is we put our trust in a power that can’t save, much like the man at the sheep gate pool. If you believe you are completely helpless you will make that real in your life. We become trapped in our hopelessness. We stay so long at the pool that it becomes our world.” -Pastor Ben Rosenbush
Sometimes rising up looks like:
Getting out of bed when everything in you wants to stay there.
Calling a friend instead of isolating.
Attending counseling.
Taking a walk.
Opening your Bible.
Whispering a simple prayer when words are hard to find.
The miracle at Bethesda reminds us that our condition is not our identity.
The man was no longer defined by the mat he carried. In fact, after Jesus healed him, he carried the very thing that had once carried him.
What a beautiful picture of God's redemption.
The struggles that once held us down do not have to define our future. Through Christ, we can learn to carry our story without being controlled by it or being stuck in the trauma of the past.
If you are struggling today, remember this: Jesus sees you beside your pool of disappointment. He knows how long you have been hurting. He understands every tear, every setback, every silent battle.
And His invitation remains the same:
Rise.
Not because you have all the strength you need.
Not because the journey will be easy.
But because the One who calls you to rise walks beside you every step of the way.
So today, take one small step. Lift your eyes. Hold onto hope. Trust that God is still working, even when you cannot yet see the outcome.
The same Jesus who spoke healing over a man who had been waiting for thirty-eight years still speaks life today: "Rise, take up your mat and walk." — John 5:8