“In my
distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. From His temple He
heard my voice, and my cry to Him reached His ears.” Psalm 18:6
Some of our
greatest griefs are when others depend on us being strong, but we’re falling
apart. I have to be strong as a dad and husband, as a pastor and friend. To be
able to be trusted in feels good. What happens when others depend upon me but
I’m unraveling, my heart aches or has become numb, or I find little rest in my
mind?
There are
people who need me. If I lose sight of my Lord’s grace, my pride will let that
sentence make sense. People need me. Am I sovereign over
creation? Where was I when God laid the foundations of the world (Job 38:4)? Do
I have secret wisdom that I alone can give? Do I alone have power that God’s
creation depends on and needs?
Although the
Lord uses me to be a means of grace to others, encouraging them in the faith,
discipling or caring or comforting or counseling or teaching, the Lord does not
need
me. Rather, I need Him. No moment teaches this glorious truth of my need for
God than when I am unraveling, breaking, falling apart in the midst of others
depending upon me.
When others
need me rather than God in and through me, that is a problem. I don’t have the
energy, strength, wisdom, or ability that God alone has. If I am not dependent
upon God, and celebrate that dependence on Him, then I will unravel and break
apart.
However, in your
distress, in your unraveling, you call open the Lord for help. Your tearful
pleas reach His ears. He doesn’t turn away from you simply because you are
unraveling. He knows those depending on you to be strong are in need. He is the
only Savior. He comforts, guides, counsels, corrects, teaches, loves.
Parents who
struggle, knowing you are depended upon, remember to depend upon the Lord
yourself. Pray. You don’t need eloquence, just a cry for help. When you are
needed at work and needed at home, remember you are in need of the Lord’s help.
When life, relationships, jobs, money, whatever wears you down, depend less on
those things to sustain you. God’s grace sustains you and preserves His people
(Psalm 55:22).
Are you
unraveling now? Weep. The Lord who will wipe away tears for the last time
(Revelation 21:4) hears your cry for help from His temple. He draws near the
brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18). He mends. Are you growing weary in doing good?
Remember Galatians 6 is about carrying each other’s burdens as a church family,
directing our attention to depend upon God together. God has given us each
other to depend upon Him, and we rejoice in our dependence upon Him together.
Heavenly Father, forgive us for believing in our own strength and
ability, as well as our pride believing we are needed. You are needed Lord. For
the sake of others, bless us by Your mercies. For the sake of Your name, hear
our cries in times of distress, rescue, lift, and carry us. May You be
glorified in and through us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
