DEVOTIONAL – Where does my help come from?

It appears to be a given that every writer wrestles with self-doubt, impostor syndrome, and a sense of inadequacy. The blank screen dares us to be outstanding, while our half-formed notions mill about chaotically to the point where even housework looks like an inviting alternative. Been there? You’re not alone. Not even this minute.

2 Thessalonians 1:11 carries two key thoughts. They are not so much promises as petitions, but they are absolutely golden. Here they are in The Passion Translation, complete with footnotes added in:

With [ultimate vindication] in mind, we constantly pray that our God will empower you to live worthy of all that He has invited you to experience [that our God would make you worthy (or considered worthy) of your calling].
And we pray that by His power all the pleasures of goodness and all works inspired by faith would fill you up completely [by His power He will fulfil your every resolve for goodness and works of faith].

Paul was writing to a church who had already heard from him once, and then sought clarity from him, on issues relating to life under pressure. Paul doesn’t so much say, ‘You can do it! Rise up and self-actualise!’ as he says, ‘Your empowerment for worthiness and work comes from God.’

This is a welcome release from the pressure of striving to do things in our own strength. For most of my life I had no idea what ‘in your own strength’ meant. It is easier to say what it is not: as I learn to walk by the Spirit, consulting constantly with Him, we partner together as He matures His fruit in my life. The strain of living up to absolute holiness is too much for humans, but He is more than human. Our power and wisdom are limited; His are not. Our resolve fluctuates; His does not. He wants us to succeed in ministry – insofar as that aligns with His agenda rather than ours – far more than we do. We don’t have to wring help out of Him. We are on His team, not the other way around.

When we struggle with our flaws, prayer (ours and that of others) unlocks the grace that helps us live a worthy life. Grace in this context is not just whitewash, but actual enabling. I have had days when I knew for a fact my reserves were gone, yet there was a sense of being carried, a knowing that I was coping far better than I could cope alone. As an author, there have been days when writing just seemed to flow out of my fingertips.

Enlisting prayer support sounds like a good idea, doesn’t it? The Thessalonians had Paul, Silas and Timothy praying both for their lives and for their ministries. While these two fields – personal development and outworked expressions – overlap, they also diverge. Help with both is a necessity. It’s a humbled position – asking for help, even to the point of confessing our sins to one another – yet this humility pays dividends. It plays into the larger picture of a beautiful community existing in trust and mutual edification. We are still growing into this vision.

Yet let us not rely completely on our fellow humans and their prayer support. David sang in Psalm 121, ‘I lift up my eyes to the hills [where troops would hold the high ground in battle, rescuing the inundated in the valley] – where does my help come from? [Hint: not from my troops!] My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.’

Prayer works because God works. Do get prayer support, but we can also ask Him directly to make our steps firm, to shine the lamp of His Word on our path. We can listen for His direction and innovations. His presence is immediate in us, even if we learn reliance at a slow pace. He is not resentful, but encouraging. And it is such a comfort to know that He is willing to lend us His great power, on our quest to produce with Him works of faith and a life redolent of goodness.

Have you ever had an experience where only God’s help would save the day? How did it pan out?