How to actually help people (the truth most believers miss)
Here’s what John 5:8-9 taught me about the difference between giving someone help… and pointing them to the only One who can truly heal.
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Most people want to be a good person.
Help when they can.
Give what they have.
Show up for their friends or strangers.
And that’s important. That’s good.
But here’s something I never really thought about… until I read John 5:
Helping someone is great, but what if the most powerful thing you could ever do…is point them to Jesus in the process?
This one verse shifted how I help people who are struggling
There was a pool in Jerusalem. People believed that when an angel stirred the water, the first person to step in the pool would be healed.
So every day, the sick gathered.
The blind.
The paralyzed.
The forgotten.
All waiting for a moment. A miracle. A chance.
And in the middle of it was one man…sick for 38 years.
He was by the pool. So close, but still couldn’t reach it.
He tells Jesus:
“I have no one to help me. Every time the water stirs… someone gets there before me.”
What hit me?
He had the desire. He had the proximity. But he didn’t have the ability.
Because physically, he couldn’t.
He was sick. His body was so slow to move. Even if he wanted to, he just... couldn’t.
And it’s the same for so many people today.
They’re near churches.
They’ve heard of the Bible.
They’ve even heard about God.
But still unable to access what others say is “right there.”
Because they’re overwhelmed. Stuck. Exhausted. And no one’s helping them in.
That’s when Jesus shows up.
Not with a lecture.
Not with a Bible verse.
But with a question:
“Do you want to be made well?”
And then… a command:
“Rise. Take up your bed and walk.”
Jesus didn’t tell him to try harder.
He didn’t say “just keep waiting.” He didn’t say “get to the water faster.”
Jesus didn’t point him to the pool, Jesus became the healing.
And that’s what John 5 is still teaching us today.
Because that story? It’s not just about a man getting healed.
It’s a reminder for every believer right now:
There are people all around us who are close to the pool…
→ close to hope
→ close to healing
→ close to God…
But they still can’t reach it.
Why? Because like the man in John 5… they’re stuck. Physically. Emotionally. Spiritually. And no one’s helping them in.
Jesus didn’t point at the water.
He stepped toward the one who couldn’t get there.
He saw him. He spoke him. He healed him directly
And here’s the part for us, as believers:
We are often quick to hand someone help.
We could give someone food.
We could send them money.
We could even walk them through their hardest days…
But the most powerful thing you can ever give them…is Jesus presence.
Because not everyone can get to the water by themselves.
Sometimes, your presence is the miracle moment.
How? Because Jesus lives in us.
→ Your compassion might be what makes someone feel seen.
→ Your words might be the invitation to believe again.
→ Your love might be what helps someone hear His voice.
Healing isn’t something you have they have to chase. It’s Someone they can meet.
So today’s reminder:
Here’s the thing I’ve been sitting with:
Yes, helping someone through their pain matters. Yes, offering support is valuable.
But if we stop there…we might miss the point entirely.
Because while food helps, and money helps, and showing up helps...none of it compares to what Jesus offers.
We don’t just carry encouragement. We carry the Healer.
And sometimes, that’s all someone really needs.
Not more steps. Not more resources.
Just someone who’s willing to sit beside them and say:
“You don’t have to get to the water… Jesus came to you.”
So the next time you think you have nothing to offer, remember this:
If all you have is Jesus…you already have more to give than the world ever could.
Because the real help? The kind that lasts?
It’s not found in what you give. It’s in Who you point them to.
Thank you for reading.
Let this sit with you a little.
And when the moment comes…. don’t just show up.
Bring Him with you.
If today’s verse spoke to you, the best way to pass it on is to share it with one friend or restack it…you never know who needs to hear from God today.
P.S.
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