Who can help you?
Mildly weird question, I know. Here’s what I mean.
This past Sunday night the last of a series entitled “Overcoming the Pain of the Past” concluded at our church. The series included topics of “Face It” and “Trace It”, concluding with “Replace It”. One of the challenges given to help people replace the pain of their past included moving forward on a team.
Yes, on a team.
Moving past traumatic events requires building a team. A team of support, encouragement, and accountability proves more beneficial than the individual attempting to progress on their own.
The advice is good. The question is: what prevents it from happening?
Let me take a stab at three reasons why people don’t let others help them.
1. The false belief that admitting our weaknesses makes us look bad.
Many who try to construct a spiritual facade try to avoid any sign of perceived weakness. So admitting a weakness so others can support and provide accountability doesn’t exist as a possibility.
How can others help us when we don’t allow our weaknesses into the light for the possibility of healing and support?
2. A view of sin that is too personal.
Over-personalizing (or should I say over-privatizing) sin keeps us from sharing it with others. God wants us to go to Him with our sin. But, James 5:16 encourages us to open up to others about our sin. Does this take trust? Yes. Does this take courage? Yes. Does God give us what we need to carry out His will as we respond to it? I’ll let you answer for yourself.
3. We believe our own lies.
In some cases, we have ourselves convinced that we actually have it all together and don’t really need the help. In some cases, we simply believe we don’t have any reason to change. Or we mistakenly believe we can’t change.
These types of lies prevent the truth from coming out and they prevent us from letting others in.
In closing…
Who can help you? Are there people in your life who can help you move forward?
Think. If you find yourself unable to ask others to help, talk through situations, confess sin, and seek encouragement, ask yourself why.
Act. Once you’ve answered or if you can’t find good answers, seeking God and seeking help from a trusted friend or church leader would be a great idea.