I have a hard time believing that God would wire us to be helpers and yet only allow it to be developed and utilized within the confines of marriage alone. At the same time, I often find it difficult to be creative and think outside the "marriage" box when it comes to being a helper. The other day, I was reflecting on the importance of encouraging and exhorting one another in the Lord and it struck me that this is a way that ALL woman can be helpers.
It may seem odd to think of encouragement/exhortation as a mode of being a helper. But, as I look at a more familiar picture of a "helper" in the marriages around me, I've noticed my friends being helpers to their husbands by encouraging them. Encouraging them to be faithful to their families, to their assemblies, to their God. Encouraging them in their role as fathers, brothers and sons. These "helpers" have recognized wonderful characteristics in their husbands and have encouraged them to continue on in these behaviors as well as recognizing their potential and encouraging them to strive to reach that potential.
Personally, I can think of times in my life where someone saw potential in me that I didn't recognize in myself. They came alongside me and encouraged me to pursue that potential. That is how I want to be to those around me...I want to be in tune, recognizing the potential of those around me and encourage them to pursue it! I want to be the sort of "helper" that can come alongside another with a pure desire, not with manipulative or selfish motives, but to really see others become a more devoted and faithful servant of the Lord. If we all were to seek and encourage unrealized potential in those around us, I wonder how the body of Christ would be changed? Would we see more of our young men becoming Godly leaders and more of our young women becoming Godly helpers?
Whatever the case may be, the Lord has been challenging my heart to seek opportunities to encourage one another in our faith that our "labor may not be in vain." Praying this very thing for each of you today!
"...we sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith, that no one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this. ...lest by some means the tempter had tempted you, and lest our labor might be in vain."
I Thessalonians 3:2-5
**I'd love to hear your thoughts and observations on what it means to be a "helper"!
4 comments:
I DEFINITELY think a woman can be a "helper" as God created her to bed, even if she is single. The first place this is learned is in the home, so even very young women can aim to be a help to those in authority over her (her parents). Like you mentioned, this can be encouraging them with what we say, and it can also be physical labor, so that the burden is taken off of them.
The main thing that sticks out to me about this whole idea of how God created us is that as women, we should not seek our own way. But instead, look for leadership and guidance, and be willing to follow and support the men who are in authority over us. This is not only our husbands...it can also be the leadership in the church. A single woman can be especially available for this!
Thanks for your thoughts and affirmation, Rach! One of the most profound impressions of an effective Helper is the one that submits to authority..it is the one who is not seeking her own, not being manipulative for our own cause. As women, we have great influence and oftentimes are manipulative to get our own way (hard to admit but quite true!) and that is not the characteristic of a Godly Helper.
We have great influence on the leaders around us and that influence must be used wisely and carefully. But most of all, we must trust the Lord to allow the leaders to guide and to trust the Lord to move the hearts of Godly men/leaders...**note: the LORD will move their hearts! Not the women!! :-)
Those are excellent thoughts, Kelly. I've been thinking myself lately about how a woman can be a shepherd - I think sometimes that we only think of elders as shepherds, but I'd like to be one. Sometime soon I'm going to do an in-depth word study on that topic...
this was so very encouraging to me, I have been strugling with the emptiness of not having my husband to "help" or do things for like a wife does...and being married for so many years I think this has probably been the biggest adjustment for me. As I read what the Lord had laid upon your heart I realized that it is so true, we are helpers in many ways.I know you are a helper to Tanya with the little ones, and to your parents and the assemble there.The Lord has given me many opportunities as well to help and minister. I will look at these in a new and thankful way.
robin burger
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