April 29, 2020

Good Morning Friends,

Just as we find security in our trust of the Lord, hardships push us to lean on others, dive into our church communities, and ask for help. Asking for help is hard. Many prefer a different route, in a time of struggle. They like to bear down and pretend everything’s fine, isolate, throw myself a string of silent pity parties, and then finally fall apart to whoever is unfortunate enough to ask them how I’m doing. Humbling as it can be, by inviting others into our mess, we foster vulnerability, connection, trust, and deep relationship. That is the Body of Christ.

So that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. 1 Cor 12:25-26 (NIV)

Needing help has always been a part of God’s design.

The truth is that God created us with a need for help. Asking for help isn’t admitting failure but recognizing the way God made us. Even before the fall, in Garden of Eden, God created Adam to receive provision and help rather than be self-sufficient.

The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” Gen 2:18 (NIV)

Asking for help is an opportunity for blessings for others.

Sometimes we avoid asking for help out of fear that it will be a burden to others. We think, I don’t want to drag someone else down with my pain. It’s not fair for me to ask someone else to carry this weight. This thinking also forgets the way God has created us as a body of believers.

God wants us to help each other in times of struggle and sin, in fact scripture commands it.

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2 (NIV)

God designed the body of believers to work together and help one another, not to function as isolated individuals.

And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. Heb 13:16 (NIV)

Asking for help shows our need for God.

Even though asking for help doesn’t automatically equate to failure, the fact is that we do fail, and we are weak. We are needy. Though it can be painful for us to acknowledge, God never shames us for admitting this truth.

Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Matt 6:25-26 (NIV)

God’s plan for us in times of trouble is so clear, yet we still try to isolate and care for our own needs. It is alright for us to admit we are weak and needy, but God is strong and desires to help us. One of the ways that God help us is through other believers.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Pastor Dennis