Introspection: Praying Outward

I share these thoughts, hoping they are of help to someone else.

Praying Outward

Scripture:

Bear one another's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Galatians 6:2

Please swallow your pride
If I have things you need to borrow
For no one can fill those of your needs
That you won't let show

Lean on me, when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on
For it won't be long
'Til I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on

From "Lean on Me" by Bill Withers

One evening last year, I was walking around a local department store, and I saw a man that I knew from my job back in college. He asked me how I was doing, and, as I normally do in such situations, I replied with a boisterous "Pretty good!"

I lied. To be fair to myself, it was more of a programmed response than an outright lie, but, all the same, I was not being honest about how I really felt at the moment. I acted as though I was happy, but, in reality, I was miserable that evening. I was tearing myself apart from the inside with stress, worry, and dread. I was letting the burdens of my life get to me in such a way that, at times, I had trouble just enjoying life.

I want people to think that I have it all together, but sometimes nothing could be further from the truth. Looking back on that meeting with my old friend, I realized just how foolish I was being. By not telling people how I really felt, I was depriving myself of getting help. Later that night, I decided to send out an email to various people I know, explaining my situation, my feelings, and my need for help.

Things started to change after I sent out that email. The people to whom I sent it came to my help, and new opportunities opened up in my life that not only got my mind off of my problems but also strengthened me spiritually and gave my life more meaning. By being open with my feelings, I let God work in my life through others.

It is important for us to send our prayers upward to God, but perhaps we should also let our prayers go outward as well. Perhaps God sometimes answers our prayers by putting people around us who can help us. If we conceal our problems from others, perhaps we are depriving ourselves of the grace God can give us through them.

Singer-songwriter Bill Withers grew up in a small coal mining town. Reflecting on the townspeople's strong sense of community, he wrote the song "Lean on Me." ¹ This popular song encourages people to be there for each other and to not be afraid to ask for help.

I think that this song describes the type of community that God wants us to live in. Throughout the Bible, we are urged to help each other, to encourage each other, to hold each other accountable, to pray for each other, to bear each other's burdens, and to love each other. God wants us to be in community with each other because He never intended for us to take on this life alone.

When you find yourself with the weight of the world on your shoulders, do not pretend that everything is fine. You will not be doing anyone else a favor. You will only be depriving yourself of the grace that God wants to give you through others. So when you have problems, send your prayers upward to God, but allow them to radiate outward as well. Do not be afraid to ask others for help.

At the same time, be willing to help shoulder the burdens of others. Let God work through you. Allow yourself to be an instrument of God's grace. In this way, you will be doing your part to build the type of community that God intended.
Notes:
1 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lean_on_Me_(song)

Introspection: Jellyfish and Currents

I originally shared these thoughts, in a much less developed form, with a group at a Salkehatchie camp. I share them here, hoping that they are of help to someone else.


Jellyfish and Currents

Scripture:

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life."

John 8:12

And this is how it feels when I
Ignore the words You spoke to me
And this is where I lose myself
When I keep running away from You
And this is who I am when
When I don't know myself anymore
And this is what I choose when
It's all left up to me

From "Breathe Into Me" by Red

I was walking on the beach recently, and I saw a jellyfish lying on the beach, stranded. This is a pretty common sight for beach-goers, but, for me, this sight hit really close to home.

Up until the last few years of my life, I never really cared about anything. I spent most of my life living without passion, drive, or purpose. I never got involved in anything meaningful. I just... drifted.

The problem with living this way is that drifting can lead a person somewhere that he or she really does not want to be, much like the way a jellyfish ends up stranded on the beach. In the past couple of years, I have come to learn that lesson the hard way. I did not seek meaning in life, so I should not have been surprised when I did not find any. In fact, I had previously used the analogy of the beached jellyfish to describe how I felt.

The same week that I saw the jellyfish, I was sitting in a Bible study, signing up for an online group to carry on the things we had been studying. It was then that I realized that going with the flow can sometimes have good results. For example, when I went on my first mission trip in college, I was pretty much going with the flow, doing what my friends were doing. There were several other such opportunities that I participated in at the urging of friends.

So why does going with the flow sometimes have good results, while other times it leaves one stranded and helpless? What makes the difference?

The answer is the current. A person who drifts around, following any current has no idea where he is going or how he will end up. A person who lets God be his current, on the other hand, knows that God will lead him where he needs to be. Christ has promised to guide us through the darkness of this world if we will follow Him, the Light of the World.

To you, the reader, I urge you not to drift your way through life. Let God be your current, and swim with all your might.


Jellyfish photo by Lee R. Berger is used under the GNU Free Documentation License.