Helping God or Helping Your Ego?

The Act of Helping is beginning to look like a series and in this second article, we highlight what it means to help GOD. Is that even a thing?

Who set the boundaries of the oceans? Who told the sun where to rise in the morning? Who instructs the season and brings forth winter and summer? Who has given counsel to the Lord? Who has set the centrifugal force in place? When you think of all these systems, you may ask, can humans help God? Maybe a better question is, do humans need to help God? Are there things God can do without humans?

2 Samuel 5 records that season in David’s life when he had experienced back-to-back intelligence that gave him a strategic victory over the Philistines.

David had consulted the prophets, should we pursue? Is victory assured? David asked. On the first request, God said to pursue. And David fought and got a victory that looks like a burst through the storm. In the second battle, David asked again, do I pursue? Is victory assured? And God said, yes pursue, but not immediately. Pursue the Philistine but let them go ahead and I'll cause them to hear a mighty sound that will make them afraid. God instructed! Again, God gave victory. For David, it was a season of breaks and joy.

Sometimes victories bring joy that may progress into pride, if not handled with wisdom. Without asking, without checking, David decided to help and make God look good by bringing the Ark of God back to Hebron. Nothing wrong with that. Off he made arrangements for animals to bring the ark of God back to its proper place. The ark has been stolen by the Philistines (see 1 Samuel 4) and at some point dumped in a dishonorable place.

David wanted to help God by bringing the ark to its proper place.

You wanted to build to make God look good.

You wanted to launch that prophetic ministry to make God look good.

You wanted to have the largest worship center, to make God look good.

You wanted to organize a big concert that draws people across the nations to make God look good…

But wait, is it to make God look good or for you to look good? Is it to make God look good or for people to see you as the pastor of the biggest church? Are you building to glorify God or for you to be well-liked, well-followed, and with more influence?

Whatever help God requires of you is a function of your purpose, it leverages your position, it requires your preparation, it follows some protocols, there will be provisions, and your presentation matters.

Maybe that is why service feels stressful.

Maybe that is why it feels out of place.

Maybe that is why the pressure is mounting.

Maybe that is why doors that are needed for the help to be accomplished are not opening.

When your help to God is in line with your purpose, you are positioned for it. Your position is a function of your purpose. Your position puts you in the line of your assignment. When you are positioned for an assignment, your provisions would come. However, having the position doesn’t necessarily mean you are fit for the assignment. Your fitness depends on your preparation, however, your preparation doesn’t matter until you have followed the divine protocol for that help or assignments.

When it comes to helping God, you have to lose every sense of entitlement.

When it comes to God's service, your opinion doesn't count. When it comes to helping God, you have to follow his instructions strictly. When it comes to helping God, the provisions come easily. Stop front-running God’s agenda. Stop borrowing vessels to draw water for God. Don’t be like the Samaritan woman. Don’t be Uzzah.

Back to 2 Samuel 6, the ark of God was mounted on a new cart with Uzzah and another guy assigned to supervise the transport. There was music, there were songs, there was worship, there was dancing, and there was rejoicing. You would think based on your Praise 101 class that that was enough to make God happy. While Uzzah was behind the ark, front-running an emblem of God's power, Ahio stood at the front of the ark. The psalmist said you would hear a voice behind you telling you where to go. Helping God means openness to instructions which sometimes comes after stepping out in faith.

Helping God is a dangerous business. Helping God is a risk. Helping God requires faith. Faith is obedience to instruction even when the consequences aren’t clear. Faith is a risk. Before you step out to serve, before you step out to run God’s agenda, be sure to count the cost of total obedience.

The ark shook, and Uzzah quickly put his hand to stabilize it. Off the man shut down, Uzzah died on the spot right there. Can you imagine the shock in everyone's eyes? What did we do wrong?

We were only trying to help. David was shocked, then he got angry with God, then he had remorse and then David had to reset. The ark were not meant for a new cart, they were meant to be carried on shoulders- protocol. The ark was not meant for ordinary shoulder, there were meant for the Levites- position. The ark was not meant for all Levites but for the priest- preparation. It was an error for Uzzah to have accepted that task that led to his untimely death. Uzzah was just trying to help.

Before you help GOD, make sure you understand your purpose, your position, your protocol, your provisions, your preparation, and your presentation. In the rest of 2 Samuel 6, David who has been positioned to help, followed the protocol, prepare the priest, and usher in the ark of God properly with dance and praise. He danced so hard that Michal, his wife, described him as mad. The consequence of that statement was a story for another day.

David wasn’t crazy! His story was the story of a man who finally understood what it means to help God.

Helping God is a privilege. Helping is an opportunity to serve. Helping God brings favor. Helping God is rewarding. However, there are some instructions:

• When it comes to helping God, your purpose matters, for in it, you will find your place and understand your season.

• When it comes to serving God, your place matters for in it you find your position. Your position isn’t your title.

• When it comes to helping God, your provisions matter. Your provisions depend on your assignment. Your provisions may not necessarily be contained in you, your provisions for your assignment are sometimes situated in others.

• When it comes to helping God, the protocol matter. It is very okay to decline a task when you do not fully understand God’s protocol for that assignment.

• When it comes to helping God, your preparation matter, the battle that walked you through the valley of the shadow of death is preparing you to face Goliath.

Every act of service to God is dished on a plate of humility, placed on a table of courage, silverware with confidence, cupped with discipline, and served in a room full of love. David had learned his lesson.