Asking for Help

What is “help”?  Webster’s Dictionary defines “help” as a verb: 1. to give assistance or support to (someone); to provide (someone) with something useful or necessary in achieving an end. 2. to make more pleasant or bearable.  3. to be of use to. 4. to change for the better. 5. to serve with food or drink, especially at a meal. 6. to take something for (oneself) without permission, and as a noun, it is defined as: 1. the act or an instance of doing or supplying something to make it easier for another to complete a task, deal with a problem, 2. a source of aid, 3. Remedy, relief, 4. Employees. From the beginning, we are told we need help to exist successfully. Genesis 2:18 states, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I (God) will make a helper suitable for him.”  The word help is used approximately 284 to 576 times in the Bible, depending on which version you are using. In Psalms alone, it is mentioned 50 times, underscoring that God is our helper in troubled times.

The Psalms are significant in laying the groundwork for believing, having faith, and living in accordance with God’s rules. The verses concerning “help” allow for emotional transparency, from sorrow to joy. This discussion of help in the Psalms encourages us in difficult times. The Psalms encourage us to pray, reflect, and worship while asking for help. By asking for personal help, Psalms challenge and enable us to reflect on our values, foster personal growth, and make a positive difference in society. Proverbs often use the word “help” to highlight wisdom and guidance. Proverbs 11:14 states, “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.”  Proverbs concentrates on how asking and giving help make life easier.  Asking for help shows that the person has wisdom and knows their limitations.  Giving help and receiving help provide direction and support to each other and ourselves. First Corinthians 12:25-26 describes how each part of the body depends on the others, and this is also true of our dependence on others. First Corinthians 12:25-26 states, “that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.”  If we need help, we should ask for it and be willing to give help when asked.  Again, knowing when to ask or give shows wisdom and intelligence. The verse exemplifies a call to empathy and reflects support for love and kindness.  Galatians 6:2 states, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Christ taught in Galatians 6:2 that supporting and rendering “help” in times of distress shows compassion and love. This “help” builds a sense of community unity and responsibility within the individual.

The Bible describes “help ” as a spiritual principle rather than just a social obligation. The fact that we are all interconnected and dependent upon each other as believers in Christ drives home the fact that a little four-letter word, ‘help,’ is much more important and meaningful than we imagine.  Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 shows how helping each other is Biblical and just plain sense. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 defines help, “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and does not have another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

“Helpfulness is a quality that most of us value on some level. We appreciate it when someone helps us, particularly in times of need. There is also an enormous sense of satisfaction when you can uniquely offer help to someone else. As a central concept, the golden rule implicitly has the idea of helping others (or at the very least, not treating them in a way that they don’t value).” (Mullaly, 2022)  Being helpful is always the right thing to do. Investing time, money, and energy into something helpful will pay dividends well into the future. Always remember Isaiah 41:10 that states, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” Isaiah is telling us in no uncertain terms that God is always present to provide whatever help we may need. Then Paul assures us in Philippians 4:13 that with God’s help we can do all things through Christ, which strengthened me.”

Mullaly, M. (2022, 2 21). The Value of Being Helpful. Retrieved from markmullaly.com: https://markmullaly.com/2022/02/21/the-value-of-being-helpful/