Sunday, September 28, 2008

All Talk, No Action!

I realized that sometimes we get confused about the meaning of the word "help". I looked it up ('cause I'm good like that). According to the American Heritage Dictionary it means:
(v.)
To give assistance to; aid: I helped her find the book. He helped me into my coat.
help
(v.)
To be of service; give assistance.
help
(n.)
The act or an instance of helping.

We often think that we are helping someone when we give them our opinion. Wrong! I was really thinking about Job's "friends" (I use that term loosely because I wouldn't want friends like that!). They really felt that they were aiding Job but I think really they were just comforting themselves. They wanted to believe that Job was suffering because of his sin, therefore because they weren't suffering, they must be blameless. They had a superiority complex.

But that really isn't the point of this post. It is really that often when someone when is hurting, or needs real assistance, we "help" by offering platitudes, or worse, we point out their flaws. I found myself doing this the other day. My friend didn't need my advice, she didn't need me to talk about her to others, she didn't need me to point out what she was doing wrong. Why couldn't I just have actually done something? Why does all my aid have to consist of words? No where in that definition do I see that help is an, "abundance of words that make the speaker feel superior". Sometimes we need to keep our words to ourselves. Even when we are "right", even when we are sure we know what the other person has done wrong, even when we feel justified. I need to remember more often that I am not called to be any one's Holy Spirit. It is not my place to evaluate their motives or point out their flaws. Even if it just seems like pointless complaining, my job is to help like Jesus would. He was a lot more action than talk!

4 comments:

  1. Oh that we could really learn to love our neighbor as ourselves. It is so much easier when nothing is required of us, but oh the blessings we must miss when nothing is what we give.

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  2. As our pastor would say... "good word." Know, too, that I do find your words quite helpful and encouraging!

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  3. Per Usual you are a fount of inspirational knowledge. I was just on the phone with someone today saying that I have learned that sometimes it is more about listening than finding a solution. I personally know that usually I want to fix it "mysnelf", and I just want to vent to others about it. Or there really is no good solution, just the encouragement of know someone cares enough to listen to you whine:) Love ya~ME

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  4. Ok Clare, enough with all the deep thoughts and poignant posts. You're making the rest of us look bad! Just kidding you. I love your posts. You often prompt me to ponder things I otherwise might not have considered. You really are wise and have an incredibly amount of insight and knowledge! I bet you get it from your aunt :)

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