A certain station that shares not quite 60 seconds of hope had a pastor share their thoughts on the lame man Jesus heals in Matthew 9:6.
This pastor said when Jesus told the man to get up and walk he told him to pick up his mat with him so he could show the world he was healed.
I thought, “Sure, maybe but not the point of the story.”
They went on to say, “God allows us to carry what we have been healed from.” Interesting statement. I agree with their point that our past pain, struggles, trials are now a part of our stories and we can share about them to show what God has done for us. But I don’t agree with the idea of “carrying” them.
I think of all the bad things in my life and I definitely don’t want to carry those around. Trying to carry them myself is what caused me to continue to suffer.
And doesn’t the Bible tell us to “cast our anxieties on Him” so why would I continue to carry around something God has healed me from?
God can and does redeem the worst of situations which he can then use us to minister to others but the goal isn’t for people to look at the “mat” and be amazed. The point is to reveal the power and authority of Jesus causing people to react as the crowd did; “they were filled with awe; and they praised God…”