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Wanted: A Helper…See Job Description Below

Genesis 2: 18

“And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone;

I will make him a helper comparable to him.”

Have you wondered, Dear Christian Sister, what God did when he made us to be a helper? He gave us a huge job description, no doubt about it, one that was designed only for us and could only be met by us. We got the job, because we filled all of the qualifications for the position of the helper comparable to him, that is, to our husband!

We have been carefully selected and joined by God to our husband to meet his needs. If we look at other faithful Bible translations we will understand our role even better: “help mate” (KJV), “suitable to him” (NIV and NASB), and “fit for him” (ESV). We hold a diploma in each of those categories, so hang it on your wall, because we are going to enjoy our job and live up to the expectations of the King Himself!

Even better, our design as helper encompasses much more than matching our husband’s socks or making sure dinner is on the table when he returns to the home. We are helpers for mankind—helpers for the others in our family, helpers for our community, helpers for the church family and helpers within the Kingdom of God.

We shall never be bored, dear ones, because God gives us a tall order, He expects us to deliver, but also, He beautifully gives us all the equipment and resources we need—the models of Godly women who appear throughout the Scriptures.

As helper to our family, let us take note of Hannah, mother of Samuel. In 1 Samuel 1, Hannah prayed for a son. When our merciful God heard her prayer and gave her the son, she returned him to God, dedicating him to the service of the Lord, and making a special little coat for Samuel each year. Women blessed with children, remember this sweet action of Hannah when your children have special needs—physical, emotional or spiritual, when they require discipline for teasing one another, when they are gobbling down their favorite dessert that took half a day to prepare. As Hannah provided a little robe for her son, so we should provide a prayerful coverage of loving hope for our children—dedicating their life for the service of God. It makes all situations, even the most trying ones, so much more effortless-day after day after day.

As helper in our community, a great example is the beautiful Abigail. As you read 1 Samuel 25, note her genuine concern for damage control. Abigail’s husband, Nabal, was a mean individual who dishonored even the king’s personal envoys. When King David heard of his nasty treatment of them, the king was ready to send his army and destroy Nabal, along with his community. Abigail takes a treat of delicious food to King David and his army and apologizes for the vile behavior of her husband. When Nabal dies, King David sends for Abigail and marries her.

There are often situations in our community, the workplace—even the extended family—that may create distress in our personal relationships. People gossip about each other, grumble to each other, grit their teeth behind each other. I believe that we all have seen it happen, at the supermarket, on the highway, at the Little League tryouts and, yes, at Thanksgiving Dinner. We can be helpers of bringing the community back together, mending fences, allowing others to make something good out of something offensive. We may be perceived as little Pollyannas, but we may be the very ones used by God to present Jesus Christ to spiritually bankrupt people, and it does not require a degree in labor relations. Proverbs 25: 11 says:  “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” Our next Thanksgiving Dinner table will look great with that as the centerpiece!

Finally, sweet Sisters, we can be helpers for the Kingdom of God in the role of evangelists. In John 4, the Samaritan woman at the well met Jesus face to face. He told her she was a sinner and, in so many words, He made her understand her need for a Savior and that He is that Savior. She joyfully and humbly went into her village—a village that most probably despised her because of her unholy lifestyle. The people of Samaria believed Christ as the Messiah and craved spending time with Him. Likewise, we should gladly obey Christ’s final command before He ascended into Heaven. Matthew 28: 19-20 reminds us of this command: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

We are privileged to present Christ to people everywhere, by the way we respond, by the way we act or react, by the way we speak. These are very real ways we are helpers in the Kingdom of God. There is a hungry world out there and we have been bestowed the eternal Bread of Life that so many need right now. Let’s help feed them.

Our God made us exactly how He wants us for His purpose, for His Kingdom, for His name. May we be blessed today, Christian Sisters, to be a helper somewhere to someone for His glory!

From one Helper to Another,

Mimi

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A Helper…Really?

Sweet sister, if we were honest with ourselves, wouldn’t we admit that we desire to be unique, special, or seen as important in a splashy way? Don’t we have a longing in our hearts for movie star-like attention? I do. That’s why being defined simply as “my husband’s helper” can be difficult. I want to be defined by some other skill-set, not a confusing biblical label. I want to define myself outside of the church and marriage to prove something to the world about who I am.

It seems in this society it is easy for us women to try to define ourselves by our own woman-made standards rather than by the Lord’s. As wives we agree easily that we are made in God’s image, but may cringe a bit at the thought of being created as our husband’s helper. We want to be more. We want to be a mom, a doctor, an engineer, an artist, a blogger… Take a minute and think about what we are telling ourselves…we are saying that we know better than our Creator about how we are defined and what our purpose is in life. Wow. This is a big deal. Maybe you, like me, need to repent of this and grow in our understanding of what defines us and what it means to be our husband’s helper. Let’s first see how scripture defines our fundamental identity:

We are defined as being in the image of God (Gen 1:26). Ephesians tells us we are blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ (1:3), chosen by God before the foundation of the world (1:4), adopted as a son of God with all the rights and inheritance that comes with this (1:5), redeemed through the blood of Christ (1:7), forgiven of our trespasses (1:7), full of the riches of God’s grace, which He lavished on us (1:8), God’s heir (1:11), and sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit (1:13). This is who we are…this is who our husbands are.

With this biblical understanding as our fundamental identity, what does it now mean to be a helper? God Himself calls Himself man’s helper. The same Hebrew word used for “helper” in Genesis for women is used for God in Ex. 18:4; Ps 20:2; 33:20; 70:5; 115:9-11; 121:1-2 and 146:5! None of us would ever say that God is inferior to man by being man’s Helper, so we should not assume that being a helper means that we are in essence, inferior to man. Rather, God functionally subordinates Himself to come along side humans to care, provide, listen, etc.…to help us. He does not loose His Godhood, his very identity. Neither did Jesus when He became a man nor the Holy Spirit when He indwells humans. So too, we do not lose our essence of being made in the image of God, our identity, by being a helper to our husbands; our role is simply being defined.

God created us for this purpose or role, to help our husbands! “Then the LORD God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him’ ” (Gen. 2:18). We are to help our husbands. We are to trust our husbands with our heart. We are to listen to him in his most vulnerable of times. We are to walk humbly before him, joyfully helping him as God would have us. And we are to do this until death do us part. In good times and in bad. In sickness and in health.

Sweet sister, we can’t do this on our own. We need the help of the Holy Spirit to humble ourselves. And when we fall short? Oh, the sweetness of the forgiveness of Christ who humbled Himself to become a man and to die for this sin. He is our helper! He chose to obey the Father and live as a man, with all the issues and hardships that come with this choice. Even when it cost Him His life, He obeyed the Father to help us, to save us! Aren’t you glad He did? Now we have forgiveness and hope for a life of eternity with Christ! We even have the help of the Holy Spirit to help us help! This is good news. Remember who you are in Christ and how he has helped you, define yourself by this, and then joyfully help your husband to the glory of God!

Your sister in Christ,

Colleen

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The Desire Above All Others

Dear Sister,

Like King Solomon, if offered the world, I hope I would ask for the intangibles: wisdom, love, etc.; but I ask myself, is that really what my heart desires? Is that really where I live? There is a part (not a small part) of my heart that yearns for the new, sparkly, exciting gifts under the tree. But God has begun to check my heart and help me to examine my desires more closely this past year. While I have been a Christian—trusting in Jesus’ gift of substitution on the cross for my salvation—since I was a young girl, I have treated the thought of heaven like a nebulous, far-off eventuality and have not dwelt on its tangible, real properties and what they mean to me. I have existed in the present in a much more concrete way. That is me: delighting in absolutes and control (says the military wife who has very little of either in this life).

However, even if this life is lived for 100+ years, eternity is obviously of greater magnitude and much more worthy of my concentration and desires. As I write this letter, I am enjoying a ‘Mommy Vacation’ on the beach. It is lovely, quiet, and restful. But, in spite of the enjoyment I am having, this is not my home and anyone would think me nuts if I treated this cottage as such: decorating it, cleaning it, remodeling it. For, after all, tomorrow I leave to go home.

God gave us the ability to dream and create; and He delights in giving us good gifts. I am sure He smiled at my joy as I opened my gift of time away. He also knows the plans and desires my husband and I have for our family—we speak often of our ‘forever home’ (a term military families tend to use to differentiate between the homes we live in for a couple of years vs. the home we plan invest in and live in for the remainder of our lives), and we dream about the floor plan, location, etc.

In reality, though, this time on earth is not our true ‘forever home’ and now I see I should hesitate to treat it so. I have found that developing the right desires begins in correctly establishing my attitude and priorities. “But earnestly desire the greater gifts.” I Cor. 12:31a. If I neglect to focus on heaven and time with Jesus, I will have settled for uselessly decorating my 2-day cottage instead of investing and planning in my true home.

Does the thought of eternity in an unknown place frighten you, sister? I won’t lie—it has scared me at times. I have marveled at Paul’s statement, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Phil. 1:21. He was so sure of his desires. Yet, as I have considered who Jesus is, read what He says in His Word about heaven, and mulled over what time in heaven will be like, I have found my attitude changing. My desires for the things of the earth clamor less in my heart and my joy in those far-off expectations increase. The veil of the unknown becomes a little less opaque and my heart quickens. Our new, sparkly gift is under the tree, dear sister, He just waits for us to unwrap our desire in Him. Enjoy our gifts here on earth, but set your heart’s desire on Jesus and our ‘forever home’ with Him. “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain.” Rev. 21:3b-4a

Running with you,

Rebecca

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A Desire That Cries

My dearest sister in Christ,

I received your letter today. I want you to know that your cries for help in desperation were heard. Not only from me but (especially)  from your Heavenly Father above. I was moved to compassion by your heartfelt prayer to God asking for the removal of the desires in your heart that do not please Him. Your longing to live with a pure heart that is led not by the flesh but by His Spirit is guiding my pen.

I want to encourage you to continue in your seeking after Him.  Continue to cry out to Him, for this is our calling as daughters of the Most High King:

“So then brothers (sisters), we are debtors, not to the flesh to live according to the flesh.  For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons (daughters) of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but the Spirit of adoption as sons (daughters), by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!'” ~ Romans 8:13-15 (ESV)

Cry out to the One who created your heart dear sister.  For only He knows your heart completely.  Only He can change your heart from being a heart of stone to a heart of flesh.  From being a heart that is desperately wicked and deceitful to one that desires His pleasure. As his daughter He promises to change your heart into a heart that seeks only after His beauty, His holiness.  Don’t stop crying out sweet sister! Follow hard after Him by spending time in His word and learning of Him….desiring Him.

Take heart sister for I am praying for your heart to be steadfast in the excellent pursuit of DESIRING for God and God alone.

Psalm 27: 1-8

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh,
they stumbled and fell.
Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear:
though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.
One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after;
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.
For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion:
in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me;
he shall set me up upon a rock.
And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me:
therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy;
I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord.
Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice:
have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee,
Thy face, Lord, will I seek

Blessings and Holiness to you sister,

Susan

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Grace To The Humble

Dear sister,

Things haven’t changed much since the garden of Eden, have they? Adam and Eve’s desire to have what they deemed the “best” fruit in the garden led to a heredity of sin that can be seen in every person and child. They trusted in their own desires and feelings rather than trusting that what the Lord told them was true and better than that fruit. Instead of humbling themselves and trusting the Lord, they proudly and boldly ate the forbidden fruit.

Man, it is so hard to humble ourselves, isn’t it? We want to be proud parents, proud wives, known for something, anything! We don’t want to be told what to do…or is this just me? I’m really not one to boast vocally, but internally, my heart yearns for recognition from this world. I don’t want to be just a wife of so and so, mother of ______, or from this family. I want to stand out, be accomplished with my hands, skills, sports, or brain. I want to be known for my whit, humor, or craftiness. I can’t be alone…I’ve seen all the proud stickers on cars proclaiming honor rolls and personal advertisements.

Peter scripts in 1 Pet 5:6, that “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble”. When we, like Adam and Eve, desire our fame more than God’s, He opposes us. But when we instead, proclaim His fame over our own, we get grace! But how do I humble myself? Think about how we feel pride…we contrast something against our own standard and when we beat the standard, we feel proud! If the whole class gets a C and I get a C+, I am proud of that C+! If I compare my looks or skills with someone I think isn’t as good as me, I feel proud! So…why not compare myself with God for a good dose of humility?

He spoke. The universe was thrown into existence. He spoke and nature bloomed. He breathed life into the dirt and man stepped forth. He formed you in your mother’s womb. He made each cell move exactly where it was supposed to go. He created the nerve firings in your brain to command your every breath and heart beat. He gave skill to doctors, ideas to men and women to create art and science. He gave you a conscience. He holds the world in His hands! He made a way to fix the sin problem that Adam, Eve, and all of us have by sending Himself into the world to die for our sins! Then…He rose again, conquering death and defeating its fate for all those who put their trust in Jesus. Ummmmm…I can’t do any of that.

Humility is not self-condemnation or defamation; rather it is acknowledging everything we have comes from the Lord. It’s realizing that God deserves our praise, not us. We praise God and give thanks for our every breath, for our skills, whit, and humor He gave us. We praise God for the gifts and people in our lives. We praise and give thanks to God for our families, for the gifts and talents He has given our children and spouses. When we put the Lord in His rightful position, the result is humility in our hearts. But it’s a humility that brings joy, not shame. It brings the grace of the Lord, not His opposition. Wow! I want that! Don’t you?

Grace to you, sister,

Colleen