August 22
Job 4:1-7:21; 1 Corinthians 14:18-40; Psalm 37:30-40; Proverbs 21:27
I am sure that all of us want to be helpful to people but sometimes our attempts to help can make things worse. A challenging book along these lines is When Helping Hurts by Steve Corbett and Brian Finkert. Another book with similar ideas is the Book of Job. Job is initially surrounded by three friends who have come to encourage him in his time of pain. They initially provide great support by sitting with Job for seven days without saying a word but then they speak. Once they start speaking, their help ceases. They all think they have the answer to why the trials of Job are occurring and they are all absolutely incorrect. They each think they are wise enough to answer the why bad things happen to good people question, but they are not
The first to speak is Eliphaz and he believes the reason for Job's predicament is because of his personal sin. He thinks that Job has done something which he has failed to repent of and now God is disciplining him. Having a behind-the-scenes view from chapters 1-3 we know this to not be the case but Eliphaz, and even Job, don't have this insight. Therefore, Eliphaz's exhortation to Job is to repent so that the bad stuff will stop, and good things will return. Though there are examples of nations and individuals reaping judgment/discipline for sin and thus in the abstract some of what Eliphaz is saying is true, it is absolute nonsense when applied to Job.
When we seek to come alongside someone going through difficulty we must be very careful what we say. Is what we're saying true? Is it helpful? Is it timely? Is it loving and gracious and does it need to be said at all? These are great questions to ask. Remember, Job's friends were helpful, and then they spoke.
Father God, give me wisdom to know how to help people in pain. Help me to be sensitive to your Spirit's leading and not just say something to make me feel better. Help me to see how you are at work in their lives and join you in what you are trying to do, for your glory and kingdom purposes. Amen.
Question of the day: What can you do to make sure that you are truly being helpful to those going through a crisis?
I am sure that all of us want to be helpful to people but sometimes our attempts to help can make things worse. A challenging book along these lines is When Helping Hurts by Steve Corbett and Brian Finkert. Another book with similar ideas is the Book of Job. Job is initially surrounded by three friends who have come to encourage him in his time of pain. They initially provide great support by sitting with Job for seven days without saying a word but then they speak. Once they start speaking, their help ceases. They all think they have the answer to why the trials of Job are occurring and they are all absolutely incorrect. They each think they are wise enough to answer the why bad things happen to good people question, but they are not
The first to speak is Eliphaz and he believes the reason for Job's predicament is because of his personal sin. He thinks that Job has done something which he has failed to repent of and now God is disciplining him. Having a behind-the-scenes view from chapters 1-3 we know this to not be the case but Eliphaz, and even Job, don't have this insight. Therefore, Eliphaz's exhortation to Job is to repent so that the bad stuff will stop, and good things will return. Though there are examples of nations and individuals reaping judgment/discipline for sin and thus in the abstract some of what Eliphaz is saying is true, it is absolute nonsense when applied to Job.
When we seek to come alongside someone going through difficulty we must be very careful what we say. Is what we're saying true? Is it helpful? Is it timely? Is it loving and gracious and does it need to be said at all? These are great questions to ask. Remember, Job's friends were helpful, and then they spoke.
Father God, give me wisdom to know how to help people in pain. Help me to be sensitive to your Spirit's leading and not just say something to make me feel better. Help me to see how you are at work in their lives and join you in what you are trying to do, for your glory and kingdom purposes. Amen.
Question of the day: What can you do to make sure that you are truly being helpful to those going through a crisis?
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