Help Us Lord

Psalm 46:1

God can’t help but help. He doesn’t have to do anything but wherever He is, help is present. God is a very present help in the time of trouble. He isn’t one who just helped in the past or will help in the future, He’s a right now helper.

When you’ve been rejected by people you know you’re able to help, it produces a different degree of frustrations. You feel limited and oftentimes helpless. In Matthew 10, Jesus gathered His disciples to send them out to help people. He prepared them by giving them power, a plan, and authority. He told them to teach the good news and He gives them insight into the journey. They will be sheep and will encounter many things including aggressive personalities and back biters. In other words, they will be bit by the same people they were trying to help.

The same can be said for us today. Despite your intentions to help, people will misinterpret your motives. They will think you’re trying to control and harm them when you just want to love and teach them. Jesus gives the disciples a new perspective, so they won’t be surprised by the inevitable. He teaches them how to love those who will reject them. He also warned them so they would know not take the rejection personal; otherwise, they would become susceptible to bitterness. When folks reject the truth of the gospel that you’ve tried your best to share, Jesus said shake the dust off and go away understanding your assignment may just be over. Just be careful not to track the dirt of rejection from one person to the next as you travel on to your next assignment. There are people waiting for you to come into their lives. Some you can help and some you just can’t. Regardless of the outcome, it’s important to walk in obedience.

I’ve been a pastor’s wife for quite some time, and I’ve come across some people (not many) in ministry who complain about leadership, who think their ideas are best and will communicate their ideas with a very sharp tongue. It’s not what you say but it’s definitely how you say it. Then you have the passive-aggressive person who is kind one moment and gives you the cold shoulder the next. The list can go on and on. Just remember you don’t get to pick your assignment, God determines that. If you were the one to choose, you would most likely pick people you like and are comfortable with. But God chooses you to help people He cares about, not just those who you care about.

I am so amazed by Moses. He had some annoying people he had to lead. I promise you, I would’ve begged God to please just let me hit quite a few of them with that rod! Moses was so long suffering because he knew what his assignment was and when he was falsely accused and ridiculed, he didn’t even defend himself. He walked in compassion and interceded for those complaining people!

I seem to be doing a whole lot of fasting these days and during this last fast I told the Lord I don’t want past hurt to change who I am as a person. I find myself journaling and complaining about things and people. I have to offer that same grace that God gives to me every morning to those difficult people who I am assigned to or was previously assigned to. We can all be hard to deal with, but we must show grace and love and ask God to help us in the process. We are all WIPs – works in progress!