The Safety of Stuckness
Scripture: John 5:6 – “When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, ‘Do you want to get well?’”
Have you ever felt completely stuck? Like no matter how hard you think, plan, or wish, you can’t seem to move forward?
Maybe it’s a toxic habit you are trying to break, a paralyzing fear you are trying to overcome, or even just the overwhelming weight of too many choices.
Being stuck is frustrating.
But here’s the hard truth: sometimes, we choose to remain stuck.
Because it is comfortable. We are used to feeling sad, angry, afraid.
Staying stuck is familiar. It’s safe. It doesn’t require the discomfort of change or the risk of failure.
In John 5, we meet a man who has been lying by the pool of Bethesda for 38 years, waiting to be healed. Jesus asks him a question that seems almost unnecessary: “Do you want to get well?”
Well. . . yeah. Of course, we think, the man must want to get well! That’s a dumb question.
Who wouldn’t want to get well?
But Jesus’ question cuts deeper. It forces the man to confront his reality. Do you truly want change, or are you more comfortable with the safety of your stuckness?
Brianna Wiest echoes this sentiment in The Mountain Is You:
“You are not stuck because you cannot change; you are stuck because you will not change.”
Will not change. Tough words to hear but so true.
As tough as this is to hear, the statement is also a hopeful one. If we’re not stuck because we can’t change, then we have the power, with God’s help, to get unstuck.
Why Do We Stay Stuck?
Wiest suggests that the root of being stuck often lies in unconscious resistance to change. Here are a few reasons:
- Fear of the Unknown: Staying stuck feels safer than stepping into uncertainty.
- Comfort in Familiar Pain: It’s easier to endure a known struggle than risk a new one.
- Internal Narratives: Stories we tell ourselves like, “This is just who I am,” or “Things will never change.”
The man by the pool had been stuck for so long that his condition became part of his identity.
Is your stuckness part of your identity?
What stories are you telling yourself that are keeping you stuck?
For the man at Bethesda AND for us, change requires not just physical healing but a mental and emotional shift.
Can you identify the area in your life where you are stuck?
Action Step:
Take 10 minutes to reflect on an area of your life where you feel stuck. Write down:
- What you believe is keeping you there.
- One small step you can take today to start moving forward.
- A truth from Scripture that you can hold onto as you take that step.
Closing Thought:
Being stuck isn’t the end of your story. The moment you decide to move forward, no matter how small the step, you begin to rewrite your narrative. Jesus stands with you, asking, “Do you want to get well?” The choice is yours. What will you choose today?