I would rather walk with a friend in the dark, than alone in the light. – Helen Keller
Do you like asking for help? Probably not. That is, unless you’re Rick Hoyt.
As a quadriplegic teen with cerebral palsy, Rick asked his father if they could run a race together to help a student at his school who had become paralyzed. He wanted to prove that with a little help from his dad, he could do anything.
His father, Dick, wasn’t even a runner; yet, he decided to do it anyways. So, he pushed Rick in his wheelchair for the 5-mile race. Now four decades later, this father-son duo has competed in over 1,000 races. Would Rick have been able to run a race on his own? No, of course not! But because he was bold enough and asked for help, his loving father helped him.
Like Rick, you can’t face your problems alone. No matter how difficult your struggles – don’t face them alone. And if you struggle asking for help, there are three things you’ll need to let go of.
- Let go of fear. You might be afraid of what other people will say about you if they knew about your struggles, or if they learned you have an addiction. So, you choose to not get help. Well, how’s that going for you? Probably not so good.Living in fear of what people think is stopping you from finally getting help! Don’t be afraid to seek help from someone who is professionally trained and has godly wisdom.
- Let go of shame. If you feel ashamed about your unhealthy habit, stop believing the lies! The Lord has given you His Word to reveal the truth. And no matter what’s going on in your life, our Loving Father has enough grace and mercy to meet you in your time of need.
- Let go of pride. You feel like you’re supposed to solve your problems by yourself. Begin to see that asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness. Because when you realize that you can’t do it on your own and you ask for help, you are on the road to recovery.
In this life, you’re guaranteed to have problems. God uses people to help you in life, but they can’t help you if you don’t ask them! Take a step of faith today and seek help from a counselor, support group, or friend. It’s far better to walk with someone than to walk alone; if you fall down, someone is there to pick you up.
Almighty Father, I struggle with trying to live. Fear and shame—my constant companions—keep me from telling others about what I’m going through. Give me the courage to share my struggles with a counselor, pastor or trusted friend. Teach me that there is strength in letting others know about what I’m going through.