Accepting Help

Job 4:2-4
 ² “If someone ventures a word with you, will you be impatient?
   But who can keep from speaking? ³ Think how you have instructed many, how you have strengthened feeble hands.
⁴ Your words have supported those who stumbled; you have strengthened faltering knees.

Have you always been the encourager? Job's friends came to his side. Though they didn't understand the totality of what was happening to Job, they were able to offer bits of truth from they did know. Job's friend Eliphaz was concerned about Job's plight. He knew Job to be the encourager but at that point in time he wanted to offer Job encouragement. His concern was whether or not Job would receive it or rather continue to wallow. Would Job be humble enough to accept encouragement from someone else?

We are taught to never show weakness. But those closest to us will notice when our armor is dented. They will notice when we stumble from the day to day curve balls the enemy is allowed to throw as in Job's case. It is in those times that real friends want to help hold us up. But will we allow them? Or do we have so much pride in taking care of everyone else that we won't allow anyone to help take care of us? We are not to be the heroes per se, but we are to allow God to use us as he chooses. And when God decides to sit us down so that others can assist us, we must learn to have enough humility to accept it.