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Sep 22 8:15 AM

Joy in Getting Help From Others

Sep 22 8:15 AM
Sep 22 8:15 AM

 

Wednesday, September 22, 2021

Philippians 4:14-16



Sometimes when you're stuck, and somebody comes to help you, there's a lot of joy in that isn't there? I love that I have a next door neighbor that can fix about anything. I remember one time I had this dead tree in my backyard. I need to fell it. And I said, Hey, can you help me fell it, you know, bring it down tomorrow? He said sure. So, he came by in the morning and said, "Yeah, I watched a bunch of videos on I know how to do it." So, we brought down that tree. He did it broken up in segments, and he got the wood. And I thought, "Man, it's sure nice to get help from a neighbor who can help me when I need help." I have lawn mower problems, and I'm going to try to fix the pulley on my lawn mower. But he said, "If you need my help, let me know." I try not to abuse it, but man, it sure is nice to have help when you've got a problem.
 
I know that God is our strength, our help, our refuge, and ever-present help in time of need, the Psalms say. But God also ordained people to help us. If that weren't the case, then Paul wouldn't have said what he said in Philippians 4:14-16. I want to talk about joy in getting help from others. Paul says, "Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need." To summarize, Paul said he finds so much joy in what the Philippians did for him, as he says the very beginning, "It was good for you to share in my troubles." He found joy in getting the help he needed when he needed it most. No other churches would help him. We don't know if it was because they didn't know about it, or they didn't have money, or if they didn't want to help. I'm sure there are all kinds of reasons for all the different kinds of churches. But I do know this, that when Paul needed help, God inspired one church to help him.
 
There's a lot of joy in getting help from others. Just like I get a lot of joy from getting help from my neighbors, Paul took a lot of joy in getting help from his friends, the Philippians. However, we have to be careful that we don't just love people for what they give to us, but also love them for who they are. We don't want to be users. We don't want to be manipulators. I don't want to keep nagging my next door neighbor, I pick and choose my spots. But I also I try to reciprocate and do things back for him. It's the same thing with Paul. He had done so much for the Philippians, and they were simply reciprocating back by financially supporting him, and this brought him so much joy. If you ever had somebody help you when you needed it, man, don't take that for granted. Thank God for friends like that, for people who give to us. Sometimes it could be a surprise gift, it could just be a helping hand, it could be just a word of encouragement. It doesn't even have to be something tangible. But whatever it was, Paul got help from others, we get help from others, and we need to appreciate that.

God is working in your life to get others to help you. He also wants us to help others as well. There's something powerful in that, especially when you need it. We have all had car trouble, and thank God for the people that come alongside to help us. That's what the Philippians did for Paul, and he appreciated it. Do you appreciate the help that others give you? Do you see God's hand in it? Do you take joy in the fact that God causes somebody else to take an interest in you and help you in some kind of way? There's a lot of joy in that. Here's the thing, if there's a lot of joy in getting help from others, maybe we ought to be the one to help others so we can give them joy as well. I'm just thankful that so many of you help encourage me, and you give to me in so many ways. It's by the way you come to church, by the way you encourage, by the way you serve, by the way you're generous, and by the kind words you say. It means a lot and I hope to God that I can do the same for you. That's really why we exist, is to try to do the same and help you in any way we can. So, I hope this message helps you as you appreciate people who help you out in life. Let's pray. Father, thanks for the people that help us out in life. Help us to see every day all the ways you have brought people into our life to help us. Help us to thank them. And thank you, like the Apostle Paul did, for the Philippians who helped him when no one else would help him. Thank you, God, that you use people to help us, and we praise you for it in Jesus' name. Amen.

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