Ask for Help, Glorify God

Why is it that so many of us are quick to help others, but we’d never dream of asking for help ourselves? Studies show that Christians are generous people, willing to help when we see a need, but too often we hide our needs from others when we could use a hand. Many churches have benevolence funds to help members and others get through a financial rough patch. No doubt, most church members gladly support those funds and want to see them used wisely as needed. Still, a lot of folks who readily support their church having a benevolence fund would and have found it difficult to ask for help from it. Now, why is that? One reason is that we see asking for help as being a burden on others. We would gladly go without some necessity— and maybe even see our families go without — rather than burden someone else. Yet Galatians 6:2 says, “Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

God never intended for us to be rugged individualists, going our own way. He meant for us to live in a Christian community, centered around the local church and extending outward. God wants us to share each other's burdens, but that’s not possible if we don’t make ours known.

Maybe we don’t want to appear vulnerable or weak, so we keep our needs secret, telling no one that we need help. Or we might tell ourselves that others can’t help us, or don’t want to help.

Here we must be careful, because some of these reasons could be rooted in the sin of pride. Proverbs 11:2 tells us, “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.” Asking someone for help can certainly be a humbling experience. We don’t like to do it, especially if it’s financial help, and even more so if the need is the result of a poor decision or action we’ve made. Maybe the message there is that having to ask for help is the lesson you need to not make the same mistake again.

Even if your present difficulty is through no fault of your own— God can still use the experience to shape your character more like Christ, to teach you something you need to learn, and it quite likely has to do with letting go of pride and surrendering yourself in humility to the Lord.

While you may have surrendered to Christ as your Savior years ago, it often takes longer to surrender to Him as Lord over your life— especially over your finances. Some of us put that off as long as possible, but you can save yourself a lot of grief by not waiting until you hit some future financial bottom. If you need short term financial help, ask for it. If you need financial advice, ask for it. God has no doubt put people in your life who can help. James 1:5 teaches, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”

Start with your church and let your needs be known. If no one in your church can help, the odds are decent that someone knows somebody outside the church who may want to help. The Body of Christ is a vast network of people and resources.

Those are the reasons why you may not want to ask for help, now for the main reason why you should do it— it glorifies God. How is that, you ask? First, asking others for help glorifies God because in our weakness His strength is revealed. In 2 Corinthians 12:20, Paul writes, “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” When we are weak and admit it, we give others the opportunity to help. Conversely, if you keep quiet about your need, you deny others the chance to help and they may really want to help. Ultimately, you deny God the opportunity to provide for you through others. When you find yourself in a difficult situation, you’re more likely to go to God in prayer, asking Him for help. The Bible encourages this. 1 John 5:14 teaches, “... if we ask anything according to his will, He hears us.”

When you pray for God’s help according to His will, He will help. Not with bags of money falling from heaven, but through other people and circumstances. Maybe He provides a new opportunity for you to earn more.

The point is, to get help you have to ask for it, and that includes and begins with asking the Lord. It’s good to do because it not only glorifies the Father, it allows others to be generous, as they are called to do.

Of course, you must always do your best to avoid needing help, and never ask for help if you don’t really need it. If you’re not sure, ask the Lord in earnest prayer. He’ll give you wisdom. You can also listen to the related podcast on this topic.

Ask for Help, Glorify God

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