How Can I Help?
Every one of us, at some time in our lives, has been helped by someone. Maybe it was a coach, a teacher, or a friend. It could have been physical. A co-worker on a project, or friends helping you move across town, or a stranger giving you a lift when you were stranded along side the road. Or materially in a neighbor loaning you a tool or his mower. Maybe it was money, a loan or gift from a relative or friend. All of us need help at some point.
In my life, in receiving help, I found that it brought comfort. During a time of sorrow at the passing of a family member, the quiet calming presence of a friend. In a struggle or challenge, encouragement. In times of indecision, advice or instruction. And when I blew it or messed up, correction. Yes, correction is helpful! I would hate to think where I would be without the many that corrected me during my life.
On the other side, in giving help came extraordinary joy, meaningful purpose and satisfaction. These are immediate rewards in helping those that are hurting or in need. But there are eternal rewards as well. God takes note of our kindness to others, and He will not let them go unrewarded. Whether firstly to those in the church (Romans 12:13, Hebrews 6:10, Galatians 6:2), then to those outside (Proverbs 19:17, Matthew 25:44-45, Luke 6:27-28).
I am often reminded of how my life changed, when decades ago I asked, How Can I Help? Looking back, I can see that serving others in something bigger than myself was in my heart from my early teens. At seventeen I entered the military. Years later I served my community as a volunteer Firefighter/EMT. There were other roles in charitable organizations and even serving in the workplace on committees.
But it wasn’t till later in my life that I became serious about serving God. I had been in several churches since being born again, but for several reasons, never able make a long-term commitment. But in 2003 I came off the road and settled into a church that God had led me to. I want to tell my story that I tell everywhere when speaking to servants in the church and leaders in the workplace.
“One day a man planted some apple trees. Years later these trees grew to maturity and began to produce big, luscious apples. The man sold these apples to a company that made sweet apple juice. One Sunday evening, on the way to church, a mother stopped and bought her daughter some apple juice. As I sat in the back of the church waiting, I watched a gentleman rushing about the church attending to things in preparation for the start of service. Just then the mother and her daughter came in, and the little girl dropped her juice. He saw the spill, I saw the spill, he was busy, I was not.
As he quickly looked for a place to set the things in his hands aside to help this mother, I realized my hands were empty. Knowing he had other things to do, I got up and asked if I could help. He looked at me for a couple of seconds then rushed off only to return with a mop and an usher shirt. The next Sunday I was serving on the custodial team, and in service as an usher. In a few weeks I was leading the custodial team. In a few months I was the Head of Ushers. A year later I was receiving training in the Ministry of Helps. All because a little girl spilled her juice and I asked, How Can I Help?”
I believe that helping or serving starts spiritually. In 1 Corinthians 12 being a help is listed as one of the gifts that God appointed in the Church. Right there along with Apostles, Prophets, miracles, and healing, is helps. God works in a person’s heart to serve others. He gives talents and resources that are to be a benefit to your church, and in your secular job. Just as we are to serve the Lord with whatever and wherever He has placed us in the Church, on the job we are to do our work as unto the Lord. (Colossians 3:22-24)
Helping usually involves relationships. I differentiate help from benevolence. Benevolence often only requires compassion for another person. Whereas helping or serving often requires a heart towards or joined to someone. Honor plays a big part in this. There are many examples in God’s Word that bring this out. Jesus with is disciples, many of them left everything to follow Him. Saul when he was anointed king (1 Samuel 11:26) God touched these men’s hearts and they went with him. And David and his mighty men, they honored him by getting him water from the well, he honored their lives by pouring it out before the LORD. (2 Samuel 23:15-17)
It is my hope that this article encourages us all to be a help and seek ways in which we can serve others. I want to end with how to help. Breaking this question down to each of the four words may give us some insight.
HOW. You are not setting qualifiers or limits. If you have been in ministry or work leadership, you have heard the following. “That’s not my ministry.” Or an employee that when you try to assign a task says, “Well I was thinking I would do….”
CAN. You are asking, some people will not receive help no matter their situation or how badly you want to help them.
I. You are doing the help. This will require you to invest time and effort. Nothing is more pathetic than that of one person that gets involved only to pass it on to others to do the lifting.
HELP. When helping it is important to remember two things, what they need, and how they want it. Listen to what they say, and unless they ask for your input, do it the way they want.
Let us follow the example of our Lord Jesus and obey His command by selflessly loving and serving others. Look to ease the burdens of others with your time and resources. I believe that when we help others, God smiles. And in the end, we will hear, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”