Stealing Other’s Joy
January 15, 2012
Podcast available here:
http://www.richardjlewis.com/pod/StealingJoy1.mp3
In Don Piper’s book “90 minutes in Heaven” he shares a small story about his time in the hospital after his serious auto accident. Many people came by to visit and always asked the same question, “Is there anything I can get for you?” Don would always answer, “No thanks”. One of Don’s trusted friends, Jay, witnessed one of these visits and confided in Don afterwards, “You really need to get your act together…You have spent the better part of your whole life trying to minister to other people… You are not letting them minister to you… It’s what they want to do. Why can’t you understand that? You’re cheating them out of an opportunity to express their love to you.” These words burned in Don’s heart for a few days and then he had the opportunity to implement them. A visitor again offered to get something for Don and just as he was about to say “No” again he thought about what he was doing – stealing joy from those that loved him. He asked the person if they could maybe get him a magazine. The person joyfully swept out of the room and returned moments later with an armful of magazines. Don noticed that the person was grinning because he had been able to help him in this simple way. Soon Don was letting people do small errands for him, get milkshakes, etc. He began to realize that in these small acts of kindness he allowed others to do for him, he was allowing them to express their love. He noticed that when he told people “No thanks” the expression on their face would tell the whole story.
Don had a battle with pride and other things in allowing others to help him. I have to say I have had the same problem. I am reluctant to ask for help on a project. I often would rather go out and lift something or do something that would be much safer and easier if I had another set of hands but I am too prideful or impatient to ask for help. I may hide behind the excuse that I don’t want to bother others or be a burden to them but that is just an excuse as it is really my pride that is the problem.
The next time that someone asks me if they can help me I’m going to answer them differently. If I realize that I’m about to say “No” because of my pride, I’ll just tell them the truth, “I’m sorry, but I am too proud to accept your help”.
Acts 20:35 “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
Giving is easy to do but receiving involves humility and the admitting that we need help. The end result of receiving is blessing for the giver and growth for the receiver.
