Is Competition Fair?

Love this passage.  Couple of things here.  First let's talk about competition.  Is competition fair?  Let's take a look.

The passage below tells of the Bethesda pool.  A pool of healing.  Does everyone get healed?  Take a look.

John 5:1-9(NKJV)

1After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 

2Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, £Bethesda, having five porches. 

3In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, £waiting for the moving of the water. 

4For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had. 

5Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. 

6When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”

7The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”

8Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” 

9And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath. 

Nope.  Only the first one in.  Is that fair?  I don't know?  Let me ask you this.

Is God a fair and just God?  Are those a couple of God's characteristics?  I believe  the answer is yes. 

The Scripture says that an angel comes down and stirs up the water.  Comes down from where?  Sent by whom?  That's right.  Down from Heaven and sent by God.  So this is a system that God set up.  Would a fair and just God set up an unfair and unjust system for His believers?   That would be inconsistent with God's character would it not?  Therefore I believe that competition is fair.

Now to the second issue.  Notice how Jesus ministers to the sick man.  The sick man is full of self pity.  Oh whoa is me.  I can't get to the water first.  Nobody will help me.

You don't see Jesus going "oh you poor baby" do you?  You don't see Jesus saying "Don't worry, you have an unfair disability.  It isn't fair.  It's not your fault."  Nope.  Jesus says "Get your butt up and take care of business". 

But that's impossible many would say.  Is it?  I can show you story after story after story of people who have overcome odds that many would have said was impossible.  With Jesus nothing is impossible!

Would you like to experience the impossible in your life?  It's pretty easy.  All you have to do is ask Jesus to guide your life.  Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior.  Just have a conversation with Him.  "Dear Jesus…." 

Will you get instant impossible?  Not usually.  But give it time.  Live the life that Jesus guides you to and you will soon experience the impossible over and over again.

Want to see what I am talking about?  How about this.  I want you to picture all of those sic, blind, lame, and paralyzed people sitting around the Bethesda pool.  First one in gets healed.  All the others get squat! 

We got Nick sitting over here and Nick ain't got no arms or legs.  How do you think he is going to do in this competition to be the first one in?  Man that ain't fair! 

Isn't it?