“Pick It Up”

Scripture Focus
 
John 5:8b (NASB 1995) – “Jesus said to him, ‘Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.’”
2 Corinthians 1:3–4 – “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”
 
 
 
Sermon Reflection
 
In John 5, Jesus doesn’t just heal a man stuck for 38 years. He gives him a command: “Pick up your mat.” It’s a moment that goes beyond physical healing. Jesus is telling him and us that the very thing that once carried him is now to be carried as evidence of healing. It’s not about hiding the past; it’s about holding it up as a testimony.
 
This idea is echoed in Mark 2, where a paralyzed man is brought to Jesus by friends who refuse to give up. Jesus heals him and tells him to pick up his mat. Again, the mat becomes a symbol not of weakness, but of witness.
 
And then in 2 Corinthians 1, we’re reminded why our story matters. The comfort God gives us is meant to be shared. Our pain, our healing, our process, it’s all part of the ministry God wants to do through us. Your story is not just a part of your past; it’s part of someone else’s hope.
 
 
 
How I Should Respond
 
Beloved, you may have been healed, but have you picked up your mat? Are you walking like nothing ever happened, trying to hide your scars, your past, or your process? God never called you to pretend. He called you to proclaim.
 
That mat is not trash, it’s a trophy of grace. Your testimony is not something to keep in the shadows; it’s the light someone else needs to see.
 
So today, take an honest look:
Have you dropped your mat out of fear or shame?
Is there a story God has redeemed in your life that you’re afraid to tell?
Are you carrying your testimony, or hiding it?
 
Jesus is saying to you again: Pick it up.
 
 
 
Weekly Prayer
 
Father of mercies, thank You for meeting me in my mess. Thank You for healing what I thought was beyond repair. Forgive me for trying to hide what You healed. Help me to carry my story with boldness, not for my glory, but for Yours. Use my testimony to comfort others, to strengthen the weak, and to point someone to You. Remind me that the mat is not a burden, it’s a witness. In Jesus’ name, amen.
 
 
 
Application for the Week: “Carrying the Mat”
 
 
Day 1: Reflect Write down what your “mat” is. What has God brought you through that you’ve tried to forget or hide?
Day 2: Remember Read Mark 5:1–20 and see how Jesus sends the delivered man back home, not to escape the past, but to redeem it.
Day 3: Testify Share a piece of your story with someone today. Whether a friend, small group, or social post, let someone know what God has done.
Day 4: Encourage Reach out to someone going through what you once went through. Offer prayer, presence, or perspective. Be the comforter.
Day 5: RecommitRead 2 Corinthians 1:3–4 again. Ask God to continue using your life as evidence. Pray for boldness to carry your testimony into every space you walk.
 
 
 
 
Final Thought
 
Jesus never told the man to leave his mat. He told him to carry it. Because the mat is not the end of the story, it’s the proof that the story has changed. So don’t hide what God healed. Pick it up. Let it walk with you. Let it preach for you. Someone needs to see that Jesus still saves, still heals, and still delivers.
 
Your mat isn’t a weight it’s a witness.