Seeking Help from Others

  "This is not good!" Moses' father-in-law exclaimed. "You're going to wear yourself out—and the people, too. This job is too heavy a burden for you to handle all by yourself." Exodus 18:17-18 NLT 

Part of God’s plan for being in relationship with others is that we stop striving to do everything by ourselves. So many times we choose to play the martyr and take on a project or an event. We refuse the help of others, thinking it’s easier to handle it all on our own. Or, we’re too proud to ask for assistance, thinking it’s a sign of weakness or lack of skill. However, including others to handle the work is a good idea.

Moses, the great leader of the Israelites, was called by God in a burning bush and told to do miraculous things in order to free the people from the iron grasp of Pharaoh. Even he could not do all God needed him to do on his own. "Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2). Burdens... joys... sorrows... projects... accomplishments—sharing is part of God’s plan for all of us.

Are you playing the martyr trying to handle everything all by yourself? Stop! Don’t do it alone! Ask lovingly for assistance. Accept offers of help graciously. And offer thanks to everyone. Doing it together will be good for you, good for the body of Christ, and pleasing to the Lord.

Prayer

Dear Lord, show me the way to graciously accept help from others. Diminish my prideful spirit of being able to handle everything by myself. Give me wisdom in asking for help and offering assistance to others so that we truly share our burdens and tasks with others. Amen.

• Bible Readings for the Week Ahead:
• Monday: Philippians 2:4
• Tuesday: Luke 6:38
• Wednesday: I John 3:17
• Thursday: Galatians 6:2
• Friday: Matthew 5:42
• Saturday: Romans 12:14
• Sunday: Matthew 5:13-16

 
Author,  Julie Clinton, M.Ad., M.B.A., president of  Extraordinary Women, has spoken to hundreds of thousands of women as host of EWomen conferences all across America, and is author of Extraordinary Women: Discovering God's Dream for Your Life, the devotional Living God’s Dream for You, 10 Things You Aren’t Telling Him and A Woman’s Path to Emotional Freedom.   A woman of deep faith, she cares passionately about seeing women live out their dreams by finding their freedom in Christ. Julie and her husband, Tim, live in Virginia with their children, Megan and Zach.