It’s hard to ask for help, isn’t it? My able-bodied friends look at me in my wheelchair and they often say, “You know, Joni, if I were paralyzed, I think the hardest thing would be having to ask for help.” I just bet you identify. Maybe you don’t even like asking for help when you’re lost... don’t want to pull over and ask for directions. Or you’re a student and you’d rather not ask a stupid question about an upcoming test. You’re sick and behind on housework, and you’d rather not have a friend come in… maybe it’s pride, maybe you’d be embarrassed, or maybe you’d just rather do it yourself later so as to not be a bother.
But I am convinced that one of God’s primary reasons for permitting illness in our lives is to force us to ask for help. Why? Nothing kills pride quicker. Asking for help – I mean the kind of help when you’ve got nowhere else to turn, when you can’t make it on your own – that kind of “asking for help” places us at the mercy of God as well as the mercy of others.
And don’t think you’re above requesting help. Just listen to Matthew 26:38‑40. Jesus is in the garden of Gethsemane and He says to His disciples, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me." But the Lord’s need of help doesn’t stop there. After He had prayed a while, it says, “He returned to his disciples and found them sleeping.” And He says, “Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?” He asked Peter.
This portion of Scripture touches me. Because nowhere else is it recorded in God’s Word that Jesus asked for help – during His entire public ministry, He was always helping others. But there in the garden, when He was suffering, He needed friends. He wanted their support. He asked for their assistance. He even requested twice; He wanted their help.
Now here’s the point. Is the servant above the master? I don’t think so. Today you may be in a tough situation… you received bad news from that medical checkup… maybe you don’t want to bother anybody… you don’t want anyone at your church to know… you think, I mean you really think you can do it on your own, but your frazzled emotions and your heavy heart tell you, you can’t. Perhaps you’re caring for a loved one and you are plain worn out. Or maybe you’ve got yourself in over your head with a project. Whatever! You need help and you know it, right?
If the Lord Jesus asked for help when He was in pain and in need, when He was distressed, if He asked for the support of His friends, can’t you? And you know what, unlike the Lord, I do hope your friends say, “Yes, I will help you.”
Used by permission of
JONI AND FRIENDS
P.O. Box 3333
Agoura Hills, CA 93176
© Joni and Friends