Categories
Covid-19 Devotionals

What Does the Bible Say About Helping?

I have explained at length that my iPhone was giving problems regarding the storage. Roy tried to help me from the USA. His friend who is in South Africa for a few days tried to help on Tuesday. I chatted to another friend yesterday. He was willing to help me upload video messages from his Apple Mac Computer. Today we went to Menlyn and visited the iStore. The technician was extremely helpful.

Firstly, they cannot increase the phone’s storage. That option means another phone with a larger storage capacity. This is not possible for me. Then he explained that in the phone’s storage there is ‘box’ labelled “other”. There was 6 GB of data there. To clean this up means to connect to a laptop, log into iTunes, back up the phone and then restore the settings and data. Although this took a few hours all in all, it was successful giving me almost 13 GB free space. Roy guided me through all this.

What a relief! Each of the brothers tried to help. I really appreciated their assistance and their willingness. Before all this, I found a way to upload the Video Service/Sermon directly from the iMovie’s App on the phone to the hosting platform. So we’re good to go for this Sunday. Praise the Lord. Although the advice of the technician at the iStore was fundamental and Roy did most of the work, both the other friends tried. This caused me to think of the spiritual gift of “helps”.

Firstly, every Christian has a spiritual gift mix. You might use your dominant gift for Kingdom service, but within the mix there are subsidiary gifts that you use so often without even realizing you are using a spiritual gift.

1Co 12:7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.

This verse is proof that you have a gift mix (manifestation of the Spirit).

Secondly, every Christian’s spiritual gift mix is given for the benefit of the Body of Christ. Note the words from 1 Corinthians:

1 Co 12:7 … given for the common good.

When we do not use our gift mix for the common good we are withholding what the Holy Spirit has given to us and through us for the benefit of the Body of Christ. This could amount to selfishness or even stealing! In Romans 12, Paul is adamant that our gift mix is to be used for the Body by saying:

Ro 12:4 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

If we belong to each other and the gifts are given for the common good, it does amount to willful disobedience when you do not use your gift or gift mix to bless and help the Body.

Thirdly, although there is a gift of “helps” as in the major category, everyone has the gift of “helps’ as a subsidiary gift!

1Co 12:28 And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues.

Some of these gifts in this short list do not function any longer, but … “those able to help others” is definitely an ongoing gift, existing in most Christians (I would argue … in all Christians).

Now think of these brothers who helped me. Each one offered to help. Each one tried to help. And even though their help was not successful until the iStore technician provided some valuable advice, they tried. They used this subsidiary gift of helps to attempt to assist me. That is what this ‘helps’ is all about.

I found this helpful explanation … “The person with the spiritual gift of helps is someone who tends to work behind the scenes to get things done. The individual with this gift will often do his/her job joyfully and take the responsibilities off of others shoulders. … The spiritual gift of helps is often an unnoticed gift.” That’s exactly what these brothers tried to do for me. They knew I put out a video service/sermon each week and I failed because of technical reasons this past week so they tried to lift the burden off my shoulders by trying to fix the problem. Their professions are pastor, security consultant and IT specialist. Not one of them is an iPhone technician … yet they tried to help. Why? Because they are Christian and because they know it is their God required duty to help brothers and sisters in Christ by lessening their burden. Each of them could easily have said, “Sorry you have this problem. Hope you get it sorted” … but they did not. They saw it as their Christian duty and responsibility to offer help as best they could.

It is a Biblical requirement that we help each other as best we can. It is Christian to try and take the weight off each other’s shoulders to make the burden easier. Jesus said in John:

Jn 13:15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.

He said this with reference to servanthood (demonstrated by foot washing). Paul said in the context of supporting Christians in their hour of sin:

Gal 6:2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Surely Scripture leans towards us helping each other as best we can … and even if we can’t help to a suitable end, at least let us try. Not only is it God who sees you trying … the person you attempt to help sees this as well … and do you know what … it motivates them to want to help others when the time arises!

Dear God, thank You for the gift of helps and thank You that You have distributed this gift either as a dominant gift or as a secondary gift to all Your people. Help me to be observant so that I will willing help others. Amen.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *