The helper’s heart
My God given purpose is to help, as a woman he made me a help meet for mankind. It is as much a part of my make up as breathing. I instinctively look for opportunities to help, ways to help, even people to help.
I realize I can’t do any and everything, but that never stops me from trying. I am more goal oriented and result driven than I am fearful of failing. To a person that has goals I am an asset, to a person with no goals I am a nuisance. I am wired to put everything I have into succeeding and when I begin a task I invest at 100 percent.
The investment fuels the drive and the need to help, the expected end or success fulfills the God given purpose. Helpers are usually people with big hearts who gain satisfaction from knowing they have in fact helped someone. They are unfortunately often targeted by selfish, self centered people, who are users by nature. This attraction is forged by demonic influence, Satan assigns these spirits to change the heart of the person who loves to help. If he can cause damage to the heart, by repetitive use and abuse, the light of compassion can be snuffed out. People who love to help people are some of the best witnesses and soul winners for Christ. They are normally very compassionate, and often imagine themselves in the place or shoes of others. They move in a heartfelt spirit of treating people the way they would want to be treated.
When your gift of help is discovered you become the “go to” for others who have an agenda. You are seen as a supply or resource that many times over shadows the fact that you are also a human being; with feelings. This is the reason behind many of us suffering from being mishandled by others. Then comes the task of discerning whether you are being loved or depended on for what you can do. Is it me they really care about or is it my gift that they desire?
In the Bible Jesus addresses a similar discernment in the book of John 6:24-26. He was being search for by people that had witnessed the miracle of seeing him feed the five thousand, with two fish and five loaves of bread. In verse 25 they expressed concern because he could not be found of them right away after locating him on the other side of the sea.
They asked him when did you get here? This question was not out of care or concern of his whereabouts, but out of their own personal agenda of what they truly desired from him. The pride that is a natural part of our human make up would read these actions as someone who really cares about me or someone who really wants to be around me.
This is the importance of walking in the Spirit and not in the flesh, that will determine your response to this type of attention. In verse 26 Jesus addressed not their façade of concern for where he was, or how he was. He addressed their true motive for seeking him out, the real reason they were trying to find him, in this response. John 6:26 KJV Jesus answered them and said, verily, verily I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.
He pointed out the error in their seeking him for something he could do for them, that would supply a need they had, which was natural hunger. They wanted to fill their bellies and he had shown he had a gift and compassion to help the hungry people who had followed him. But this group had identified a gift of help that would supply them with a free meal and that was their only reason for wanting to be in Jesus’s presence.
How was Jesus able to recognize their motives? The Bible says in Hebrew 4:12, For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. We who are often hunted for gain must rely on this truth and his abilities.
It is the Holy Spirit’s function to clear the fog and give us keen insight into the motives of men and women. So what can we do to protect ourselves as helpers from being used? Short answer: Nothing. Because help and being used are co-dependent of each other, one exists because of the other. The thing that happens when you are a helper is compassion will often override your spiritual senses leaving you vulnerable.
In the example of Jesus given, note he had compassion on the crowd he performed the miracle for because they followed him knowing there was no visible food in sight. They desired what he offered spiritually, clearly showing they had no hidden agenda for seeking him out, or following him.
However, the crowd that searched for him after seeing what he could do, had a different heart. Hearts that the Holy Spirit revealed because he knew the intentions and motives of the heart’s of those people. As helpers by design; you will help, but by the guidance of the Holy Spirit you can guard your heart from unappreciative, self centered, users who seek to take for granted, misuse and exploit your gifts and big heart.
Written by Sherridon Lyons-Verse
