Who's Helping Who?

When I arrived on the jobsite this morning, I was surprised to see a co-worker pull up.  I had been working by myself for a week so it was wonderful to have some help.  Over the New Year's holiday the apprentice who had been working with me (commonly called a "helper") broke his collarbone in two places and made wrapping duct for him out of the question for six weeks.  While I worked I wondered if I always rightly appreciate the help God provides through the Holy Spirit.  If having a co-worker on the job fills me with gratitude, how much more thankfulness should I cultivate in my soul for the Holy Spirit who has taken up residence within me!

Our natural view of "help" is strictly selfish.  When a person is lost he screams "Help!" because he desires to find his way or be found.  When a child is caught in a rip current she might cry for help to attract attention to be rescued.  Receiving help from someone carries the idea that others are supposed to assist me to obtain my goals, protect, or enable me to do or receive what I want.  The dreadful reality is this is exactly the definition of "help" we often desire from God.  We are the center, and we ask God to help us stay healthy, meet our quotas, and achieve our purposes.  God does not exist to cater to man:  man exists to glorify God.

Jesus says this in John 14:26 in the New King James Version:  "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you."  This is one of the few instances in my opinion that the NKJV misses the mark, clouding God's name and misleads us to His attributes.  The word translated "Helper" is "parakletos" in the Greek, meaning "an intercessor, consoler, advocate, comforter."  The King James Version translates this title of the Holy Spirit as "Comforter."  If I read the NKJV, I am likely to believe that the Holy Spirit will help me.  Now does the Holy Spirit help us?  Of course.  But if we use the modern-day view of what "help" means, we might be led to believe the Holy Spirit exists for the purpose of helping us do things.  This is incorrect.  Apart from God, we can do nothing. 

I would be wrong to think that I can do anything for God apart from the power and righteousness of God.  Paul writes in Romans 7:18, "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find."  Paul writes this after he was born again and forgiven from his sins through the shed blood of Christ.  The Holy Spirit had taken up residence in Paul's heart.  But Paul's flesh would always tend toward iniquity even though an inner transformation had taken place.  Paul did not just need a "little help" from God to be outwardly good and give him an edge.  He was outwardly "good" as a Pharisee and was headed for Hell because he was dead in his transgressions and sins!  The Holy Spirit is not like a co-worker who shows up to help us out of a tough spot.  He has regenerated us by grace through faith in Christ.  Because we learn of God's character and attributes through His names, the meaning from the original language should be preserved.

If we only see the Holy Spirit as a "Helper," there is a real danger of us becoming the focus.  Now before anyone throws away their NKJV, here are a couple verses from the KJV that clearly say God is our helper:  Psalm 54:4 says, "Behold, God is mine helper: the Lord is with them that uphold my soul."  The Hebrew word for "helper" is "'azar," meaning "to surround, i.e. protect or aid."  Hebrews 13:5-6 states, "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. [6] So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me."  The Greek word is "boethos," meaning "a succorer, helper."

I believe Benjamin Franklin is credited with the modern cliche, "God helps those who help themselves."  This is a humanistic and legalistic view.  It can enforce a person's selfishness in thinking, "If I do this or do that, God will help me.  In the end I will benefit and I desire to be the focus of all God's blessings, since He exists to help me.  Why should I deny myself good standing so easily obtained?"  Perhaps the original intent is to explain the dynamic of those who actively seek God and live for His glory and God blesses the works of their hands.  There will always be lazy sluggards who blame God for their lack yet will do nothing themselves, waiting for money to fall from heaven into their hammocks as they lounge with a cold drink.  Paul had a way of dealing with such bums:  2 Thes. 3:10 explains, "For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat."

The Holy Spirit is our advocate, comforter, protector, and helper.  He does not help us because of what we have done, but because of Jesus Christ's sacrifice, love, mercy, and grace.  God has opened our blind eyes, removed the curse of sin and death, and made us alive.  Instead of saying that God helps me, it would almost be more accurate to say that Christians have the privilege to help God.  It is like a small child painting a fence with his father.  The little boy wears one of dad's old shirts to protect his clothes.  The energetic lad dunks his whole brush in the paint, swiping it roughly across a few boards with a smile on his face.  The paint applied to the fence runs in rivulets which puddle on the horizontal beams.  After five minutes there is more paint on the boy than on the fence, the paint running off the brush down his arm to the elbow.  Within minutes the boy is distracted and runs off somewhere.  Dad smiles to himself and rolls out the puddles, fills in the holidays, and cleans up the brush and washed the paint drips from the patio.  When mom comes out with some drinks the boy says proudly, "I painted the fence, didn't I Dad?"  Dad reaches down and tousles the boy's hair and says, "You sure did, son."  Did Dad need help?  No.  God doesn't need help either.  But He lets us serve Him even though we are messy, make mistakes, are easily distracted, and are happy to take all the credit.

Without a father, the boy would never be alive.  Without a heavenly Father, a loving Savior, and life-giving Holy Spirit I would be spiritually dead.  I don't just need a little help from God:  I can't do anything without Him!  I wouldn't know where the paint brushes are, have the strength to open the pail of paint, or reach above three feet on the fence when it comes to spiritual matters.  Pray that God would help you to see Him as He is!  Thank you Jesus for allowing me to get dirty serving you!