My husband and I have six children, four of them being daughters. Our third daughter is much taller, and admittedly a lot stronger than her other sisters. They call her “tank,” and if there is ever a need to lift, carry or reach anything and she is home we call or rather yell for her help.
I think we all need someone who is “tank” in our lives. Someone who can help carry the load, and be there for love and support. We know we can rely on them when we need help.
We all need help at times. Jesus said He is our helper and He will lead and guide us. But He also likes to surround us with “tank” people to aid us in life’s journey. Some of them might be “tank” in different way. We all have particular areas of strength and something we can give to others. Whether it’s being a great listener, someone who can be relied on to pray, the person who can be trusted to cook a meal when needed, or offer practical help in other ways.
God says to “bear or carry one another’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2). He planned for us to have people around us to help. In actual fact He calls those people family. He’s not just talking about our biological family, but also God’s family. God’s family consists of anyone who is a follower of Jesus. On asking Jesus into our life we instantly have a whole tribe of people who God refers to as our “brothers and sisters.” (Matthew 12:48-50)
“Consequently you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of His household” (Ephesians 2:19)
God wants us to be surrounded by “tank” family, each with their own particular gift. Not only that, He has made us with the ability to be “tank” too. Sometimes we just need to be encouraged in where we can be a blessing and help to others. There is real meaning and purpose when we make ourselves available to help others when they are in need. Our own lives are usually brought into perspective as we think of others above ourselves. It’s good for us, and feeds our very souls.
The benefits of helping others is enormous for us personally, our family, and our community. Studies have actually discovered that helping others aids in reducing stress; nothing relieves stress and aids our mental and physical health better than a meaningful connection to another person.
Plus we often make new friends and strengthen existing relationships.
Making ourselves available to assist someone else often means we have opportunities to learn new skills, and even advance our careers. We are able to practice important skills used in the workplace, such as teamwork, communication, problem solving, project planning, task management, and organisation. We often feel more comfortable trying new things at our place at work once we’ve attempted these skills elsewhere first.
I know that I have grown as a person and attempted a far more diverse array of tasks from making myself available to assist others in their time of need. When we put others first we put ourselves aside and we are more likely to give things a try if it’s going to help.
By measuring hormones and brain activity, researchers have discovered that being helpful to others delivers immense pleasure. Human beings are hard-wired to give to others. The more we give, the happier we feel.
Children watch everything we do. By giving and helping others we show them firsthand how we can all make a difference, and how good it feels to help other people. It’s also a valuable way for us to get to know people outside our immediate family.
God knows how we are hard wired. He made us. He knows what will ultimately bring us the deepest joy and happiness. So it’s no surprise that helping others has been shown to kindle happiness, as many studies have demonstrated. When researchers examined the relationship between helping others and measures of happiness in a large group of adults, they found the more people helped other people the happier they were.
We may not all be able to reach the top shelf or lift heavy things like my daughter, (she’s also the one that understands our crazy technology system) but we do all have something to give to one another. Everyone can do with a little help sometimes, and just as importantly we can ask for it ourselves too.
Today think and pray about where you can help someone, and use the gift you have no matter how small you think it is, to bless and lighten someone else’s load. And if you need help, know there is someone “tank” in the area you need assistance. Sometimes we just need to swallow our pride, put aside our fears and ask.
Prayer: Lord help me to ask for assistance when I need it and show me who and where to ask. Where I can be a help to someone else please lead and guide me. In Jesus Name Amen.
Comments