Week 5 - Receiving Love - Day 21 - Monday

Written by Debbie Phares
There are many nights in my Life Group when I feel tears welling up in my eyes as it nears my turn to speak as we go around and share our prayer requests. In my mind I am thinking, “can I really share this need again? Are they going to get tired of hearing me struggle with the same issue over and over?” So often, I feel like a pest. I am afraid that people will get tired of helping me carry my burdens. It is humbling and scary to put your needs out in front of others.

One night I confessed my fear, “I’m sorry I keep bringing this up, I worry you are going to get tired of hearing this from me. Why am I still struggling with the same thing after all of this time?” Kim—the wise one—answered and reminded me that I was not alone in bringing up some of the same struggles time and time again. We all have our burdens that we help one another to carry. Kim, acting out of her strength used her gift of wisdom to open my eyes and give me comfort.

When we don’t allow ourselves to need others, we are denying the inherent value that they bring to the body of Christ. We honor the gifts that God has given to others by seeking help, guidance, love—by opening ourselves up to receive from those in the church around us. It’s important to note that allowing ourselves to need others does not mean that we approach church as a consumer—picking and choosing what we want to get. True community forces us to be much more vulnerable. When we confess our needs, we don’t always know how, or through whom, God will provide. We just open our mouths and trust that God will.

Some of us, including myself, struggle with receiving help from anyone. But, have you ever considered that we are called to recognize the gifts, not only in those that we like or connect with, but from every part of the body? If God has given everyone unique gifts necessary to the healthy functioning of the body, that means that I need everyone. It’s hard enough to be open to needing those whom I consider to be wiser, smarter or better than me—but what about the rest? For some of us, real community cannot happen until we go beyond playing the role of the ‘benevolent servant’ and admit that we need others as much as we like to think that they need us. In the body of Christ, giving cannot be separated from receiving. We need both.

Scripture:
Read 1 Corinthians 12:21-25

Reflection:
Reflect on times in your life when you have had to ask for help. What was the result? How did God work through that situation?

Practice:
Identify an unmet need in your life. Find a safe person and share this with him/her. Pray together to ask God to answer that need.