How to Help

 I have to admit, I don't know how to help. I have found out that on my own, I'm not much help. I need the power of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Everyday.

Here's the thing. We can see the situation clearly. At times we see others' dilemmas quite defined in comparison to ours. We can make all kinds of judgments about how the problem came to be, who is in the wrong, and what needs to be done about the problem, but we have a very hard time moving from the problem to the solution.

Current cases in point:

War in Ukraine

Convalescent of a pandemic

Nuclear power threats

Human and animal rights...all of these...a plethora of a world in need of a solution.

In our homes and churches we have the solution but still draw on human resources in which to blame, judge, and tear apart.

If you want to help your suffering fellow Christian at home and in church and around the world, more time should be spent crying, "Abba, Father" on your knees than advocating around the world through human resources. Again. Human. We are in need of a Saviour. You cannot help without the guidance and council of Jesus and His Word.

Your human intervention cannot be helpful until you have steeped your problem, solution, and judgment in your God on your knees, like your tea needs to steep, so does your faith and trust in an Almighty God. 

How can I say it better? Knowing/naming the battle, figuring out how you got in the battle, and talking about what would get you out of the battle is pointless if that is all you want to do. And that seems like that's what people would rather do than be the solution.

I'm proposing that we learn a new way to battle. And it's not new, but it does need more wear and tear. What if before you presented your case to people about how you feel about anything, say your relationships, your local church, your president, your country, the world, or politics, anything and everything...How about you first present it to Almighty God in step with the Lord's Prayer?

And then after you have done that, open the Word of God to see what He commands and recommends you do in all your battles? What if being kind and gentle is more important than being forceful and thought provoking through your many words?

Recently, God helped me to see that my help through usage of words and emotions was in fact a deluge and damage done to the kind souls that listened. Granted, I was going through deep waters at the time and needed those friends that listened and prayed. But it was in the waiting and praying and reading the Word that I discovered healing and a way forward. If I had first been able to go there, my poor listeners would not have had to be swept along into my pain and emotion for the duration.

I thank God for those friends. And for human resources. Because we do want to help. To be careful of how you help is the warning. If you are helping them to identify with them, that is a sort of false comfort. Big deal if you know what it feels like to pinch a finger in the car door because you too have experienced it. It's their finger that is experiencing the current pain, to relive yours is only good for compassion. 

I get it. Compassion is good. But we need more. We need to move from the pain to recovery. We can listen to their problems, advocate for them, do big and amazing things for them, but if we are doing it to feel better about ourselves or to look good or to just muddle. It's no good.

Lord, move us past muddling, fixing, and problem solving to You. We are only as good or powerful or helpful as the amount of time we spend filling our hearts, souls, and minds, with You, on our knees, and in Your Word.

And then when we get up from our knees and washing with the Word are we able to do life humbly, deeply dedicated to serving quietly, willingly, and wholly surrendered to what Almighty God will do. Trusting in His results. Not a big bang from me. Not a force or shove in my corner, just this...Nothing in my hands I bring, only to the cross I cling.