#104of365 #FaithBites #FaithJourney

Today’s lesson is about accepting help. Offering help is easy. I offer help to everyone and love when they take me up on it. Accepting help is much more difficult.  Here are two examples of my stubbornness or hubris or fear the prevented me from accepting help, and interestingly enough, both relate to money.

Last year, our house appraised for less than we thought during a refinance. We wanted to refinance to greatly change our mortgage and really set us up on a great path. Since the amount was too low, we couldn’t do it. We have a great friend offer to loan us the difference to help us out. It still would have been a much better deal than what we have now. But something in me wouldn’t let me accept their offer. The old adage don’t mix business and pleasure came up. Never borrow money from friends came up.

Two days ago, a friend who is also doing Dave Ramsey’s Plan, and is on step 7, offered to help me with this hole in the bathroom. (Step 7 is the giving step). It was out of the blue and so wonderful of an offer. I thanked them for the offer and said, “We’ll see how it all comes out”. That was my way of politely saying no. I don’t need it.

Why won’t I accept help in this manner? I offer my help all the time. Some take it, some don’t. This makes no sense. This is the world telling us not to trust. We would rather accept a loan, more debt, from a bank or unknown entity, than someone who loves and cares for us. This is pretty twisted to me. God want’s us to live together and work together.

“so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” – Romans 12:5

“Where there is strife, there is pride,
    but wisdom is found in those who take advice.” – Proverbs 13:10

“Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” – Ephesians 4:15-16

Sure, we don’t’ want to take money from people when we want something and don’t need it. But need is different. Need doesn’t mean you can’t do it on your own, but if someone wants to help you, why say no? Yes, there are people who want to take advantage of you. There are people who want to see you fail. But, in my case, these are not those people. They are brothers and sisters in Christ who want to help.

We are one body. One member belongs to the other. If everything belongs to God and we are shepherds of his resources, why shouldn’t we share when someone needs it?

I don’t know why and if I will change. I ask God for his blessings and do my best to learn to accept help as readily as I am willing to give it.

Are you willing to accept help from others? Are you willing to swallow your pride to see help for what it is? An extension of God’s love.

I am willing (with the help of God)