The Medicine Cabinet: Get Help — Tuesday
Proverbs 15:22
Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed. (NIV)
I did the math, and as of today, I have been a dad for 1,071 days.
Impressive in some sense, but I know I’m still in the early stages. Either way, from my over 1,000+ days of awesome “dad-ing,” there’s a lot I’ve learned from my kids. However, there’s one thing I’ve learned that they do much better than me: They know how to ask for help.
They don’t even hesitate. They don’t think it makes them look dumb or weak or inferior in any way. They just say, “Hey, Dad… can you help me?”
And I do. I love to help them. It’s actually very rewarding.
My daughter will tell me, “Thanks, Dad! You’re so strong,” or “Wow, Dad! You’re really good at coloring in the lines.” Thanks, kid—I needed that!
I think what I’m learning is that asking for help is a gift. It’s a privilege, in and of itself, to be able to help someone. So when we don’t ask for help, we are denying other people of that gift.
Whether it’s moving a heavy piece of furniture, stopping to ask for directions, or admitting we aren’t doing so well, we usually wait until rock bottom to get help. As a last resort. After we’ve exhausted all other options. And only if we can’t do it ourselves.
This way of thinking forgets that God created us as a body of believers.
God has created each of us with different strengths, and He calls us to use these strengths fully to glorify Him and build up others. When you find you are weak in one area and ask someone else who is strong for help, you are giving them an opportunity to exercise their God-given gifts.
God designed the body to work together and help one another—not to function as isolated individuals. When you ask someone else to help you bear a burden, you are giving them an opportunity to serve God and share Christ’s love with you.
Tuesday’s Reflection
Kids can teach adults a thing or two about asking for help. So today, harness your inner child and ask someone for help. Don’t overthink it or overanalyze. If we truly believe asking for help is a gift, we would do it more often.
