Our daughter lives three hours away. Last year, she needed to move from her rental accommodation, because her lease was ending. She needed to pack up all her stuff, and get it to her new place.
Of course, we offered to help. We knew that it would take a lot of time. We knew that we would have to move her things more than once. We knew that storing her stuff here meant that we would have to put our car out of the garage.
Even though we knew it would cost us, we were pleased to be able to help. In fact, we feel frustrated when our children go out and buy something that they could have borrowed from us, or pay someone to do a job that we could have done.
When our children are little, it’s important to strike a balance between letting them work things out for themselves and stepping in to protect them from harm. An important part of growing up is making one’s own mistakes, taking responsibility, and learning from them.
It is somewhat different when they are adults. Now, as parents, we love to have them ask for help, and we love to be able to help when we can. Of course, we don’t want to make decisions for them, or interfere, or prevent them taking responsibility for their own actions. And there are times when we need to say no.
Perhaps you are feeling stressed right now, about all the things that demand your attention. Perhaps you feel overwhelmed with your ‘to-do list.’ Perhaps you have gotten yourself into difficulties. Perhaps you don’t see any way out. Perhaps you feel that yours is a hopeless case.
Sometimes it’s hard to ask for help, and you prefer to be independent. Maybe you feel that you will seem weak, or a failure. Maybe your detractors will be proved right when they see that you couldn’t do it all on your own.
God wants you to come to Him and ask for help. No problem is too big or too small for Him. He loves it when His children run to Him. He will never be too busy to listen to you. He will never say that he can’t be bothered with you.
He doesn’t say that you will be absolved of responsibility for your wrong choices. You may have to bear the earthly consequences. However, He has borne the eternal consequences, and paid the price for you. You can rest assured that there is a place for you in heaven. No matter what your sin, Jesus paid for it.
God won’t jump in and be a magic fairy, or some sort of Santa Claus, or an over-protective nanny, or your minder, or a slave to your ever-changing desires. He calls Himself our heavenly Father.
He also gives us free will, so He’s not hovering over us like a helicopter parent. He doesn’t rescue us from our own poor decision making, or shield us from every potential danger, or give us a whole lot of unsolicited advice.
God says He loves us, but He doesn’t force us to love Him back.
At times, it might look like God has left us to suffer without His help. But God wants us to grow up. He’s teaching us to be wise in the way we handle life’s dramas.
God can use every situation, especially the challenging ones, to draw us closer to Him.
When you are stressed, and worried about things, this is God’s message to you:
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus
Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)
God wants to give us peace that ‘surpasses all understanding’ – peace which doesn’t make sense in the circumstances. He wants us to grow and mature by our daily trials.
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you
James 1:2-6 (NIV)
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you that you promise to be beside me in all the difficulties of life. Please forgive me when I try to work out my problems without you. Please guide my path so that I run to you for help. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
Are there times when you really need help from other people, but you feel you can’t ask?
Or you have asked but were refused?
Are there needs which you should ask God about, but you don’t want to?
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