Rule #28: If You Need Help Ask

Rule #28

I’m sure we aren’t the only ones who DVR our favorite TV shows. One of our favorites is NCIS, Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs being one of our favorite characters. Agent Gibbs has a series of personal rules that he frequently quotes to his team when they struggle with various things. And sometimes they quote Agent Gibbs’ rules back to him.

One of the most recent rule quotes caught my attention. Rule #28: When You Need Help Ask. How often in life do we need help, but never ask? We always want to do things ourselves. Why? To prove we can do it? Because we want to be a grown-up? Because we want to be independent?

No! I do it all by self!

When our oldest daughter was just a toddler, she decided that she could do things on her own. We would try to help her and she would push our hands away and claim, “No! I do it all by self!” Of course, we would let her try. When she would discover that she couldn’t “do it all by self” we would step in and help her. But things would have gone so much smoother, and quicker, if she would have just let us take care of it.

How often do we do that with God? Our heavenly Father wants to help us with things, but we’re always pushing His hands away claiming, “No! I do it all by self!” We don’t want Him in our finances. We don’t want Him in our relationships, or friendships. We don’t want Him in our schools, our homes, or our government. We don’t even want Him in our lives sometimes.

But what happens when things start to crumble? We could complain about it. Many people in fact do a lot of complaining. But would that or does that change anything? No. The answer has been in Rule #28 the whole time: When You Need Help Ask. It’s the same with God. When you need help ask Him.

If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll get his help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. ~James 1:5-6, The Message

God loves helping us. He wants us to ask. He wants us to come to Him, boldly, believingly, and without a second thought. He needs to be our “Go-to Guy” for each and every decision, problem and issue no matter how big our small, or how ridiculous we think it may be.

He’s Always There

The best part about God is that when we go to Him and ask for help, He is there. Period. He’s there. He doesn’t counter our questions or requests with another question, condemnation, or ridicule. Nope. He doesn’t laugh. He takes each of our requests seriously. He doesn’t say, “Well, you made your bed now lie in it.” He doesn’t say, “You brought this on yourself.” He’s not like that.

God is a loving, gentle, kind, and fair God. He is so crazy about you that you can’t even imagine it. So why would you wait to go to Him? Rule #28: When you need help ask. Now. Not tomorrow. Not later. Not when you get things straightened out yourself. No. Ask. Now. Why suffer any longer?

Shelley Wilburn

Shelley Wilburn has been writing since the age of twelve. She loves stories and adventures, and often finds herself getting into mischief with any one of her six grandchildren. She has written several articles and devotionals over the years for various newspapers, women's magazines, and newsletters. She has also co-authored devotionals. Shelley began writing full-time in 2012 after being healed of over 40 years of depression and anxiety. Using her love of writing, and wearing mismatched socks, Shelley has developed a unique ministry of encouraging others using biblical truths and stories from her own personal life. When not writing, you can find Shelley and her husband of over 30 years, D.A. zipping down the road in their newest adventure-maker, a bright orange, Mustang convertible Shelley has laughingly dubbed The Pony.