It’s not uncommon for people to claim that Christianity is a crutch, used by the weak to lean on; and that in a time of crisis, faith in God is what the weak need, soon get used to, and finally can’t live without.
But when you’re unable to stand on your own two feet because you’re broken in health or run down mentally, you need all the support you can get. Those who’ve turned to God when in physical or mental trouble have found Him “a very present help.”
That help comes not in the form of a crutch but a cross – the Cross of Christ. Jesus hung there, burdened with our sins, so that we could stand before God, forgiven. We walk without fear, because He is able to keep us from falling. We walk in newness of life. Our relationship – our walk with God – is not on crutches! By grace, in faith we stand!
Jesus commanded two disabled men to rise to their feet. Later, the apostle Peter commanded a man born crippled to rise up and walk. The apostle Paul did the same. The name of Jesus got them back on their feet!
We need the Cross, not a crutch. We don’t need something to lean on: we have someone to believe in! Don’t depend on someone else’s prayers – pray yourself into freedom! Don’t rely on the Sunday sermon for a weekly lift – get your own word from God! Don’t just sit in the premises – stand on the promises! All your needs: spiritual, mental, physical, whatever, were provided for in Christ’s death on the Cross. It was when Jesus said “It is finished” that your new walk with the Lord began. Go there, by faith, and receive all that you need. You are healed now because you were healed then.
Too many are dependent on others for their well-being. Peter lifted the crippled man to his feet, but it was the name of Jesus that enabled him to enter – “walking, leaping, and praising God” – into worship. He knew what to do with his new-found freedom. Once God gets you on our feet, the rest is up to you. Change your attitude, take some action, and the power of God will transform your life!