In The End, It Matters Who’s In Your Corner

All of life requires a measure of faith. We eat without the consciousness of internal harm. We sit on the couch without fear of falling over. We drive without pre-conceived premonition of accident.

We just get on with life without giving much thought to the reality of the faith we demonstrate.

But there are times in life when we are inspired by the Holy Spirit working in and through our situations to move in a unique dimension of faith that is extraordinary.

Desperate situation matched by extraordinary faith

That’s what we see in Mark 2:1-12 when four friends broke through the roof of a house in Capernaum to present their paralyzed friend to Jesus.

The house was full and there was no room for them to navigate. They must have felt this was their friend’s last opportunity to receive a miracle.

So what did they do? No, let me rephrase the question:

“What would you, as a friend of the paralyzed man, have suggested and done?”

Their next move took everyone by surprise. They hoisted their disabled friend up the rooftop, removed parts of the roof and lowered him down in front of Jesus, bypassing the crowd.

I want to believe they would have offered to pay for the damages caused to the roof afterwards but the lesson is this: sometimes, desperate situations must be matched by extraordinary faith.

Extraordinary faith discerns divine timing

They were met with unfavourable conditions and could not get into the house. But they were not deterred by the odds against them.

Life hardly gives us favourable conditions but extraordinary faith finds a way to navigate regardless.

Extraordinary faith recognises divine timing and moves in the wisdom and power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish eternal purposes // In The End, It Matters Who's In Your Corner Click To Tweet

It wasn’t time to fast or pray. They didn’t need the synagogue leaders this time and they weren’t going to allow the bureaucracy of religion get in the way.

For them, it was Jesus or nothing. So, they seized the moment. And with Jesus in the house, there was power to heal their friend.

Sometimes, you have to go against conventional wisdom to reach the desired outcome.

Who’s in your corner?

Radical? Yes. Irresponsible? Debatable. Reckless? Maybe. But they were not going to give up on their friend.

We all need friends like these in our lives; people who can read the moment and are willing to go the extra mile for one another.

Without bringing their friend to Jesus, how was he going to get healed?

Jesus didn’t come to them; they went to him. The disabled man didn’t make it happen but his four relentless friends did. They were in his corner.

Who’s praying with you, ‘doing life’ with you, challenging you, standing up to and for you (when necessary) and encouraging you to stay committed to the God-intended life?

Most importantly, have God on your side by committing your life to Him, then He will commit Himself to you — Romans 10:9-11, 8:28,31-32.

Then surround yourself with a close circle of friends who are willing to risk it for the cause of faith in obedience to God.

Because, in the end, it matters who’s in your corner.

Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash