Learning To Be Helpless 6/19/2018

Good Morning,

I must admit that I am a little tired. It was a long weekend that carried over into this week. This Door County Blueberry Cobbler Coffee is way too good!
A wise pastor  spoke in our Men's group once and said that he believes that "all people possess the gift of helps". I tend to agree.
Now just the opposite is where we are looking this morning.

— Proverbs 26:13-16 —

A sluggard says, "There's a lion in the road,

a fierce lion roaming the streets!"

As a door turns on its hinges,

so a sluggard turns on his bed.

A sluggard buries his hand in the dish;

he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.

A sluggard is wiser in his own eyes

than seven people who answer discreetly.

I do believe that we are to help one another and especially those who are in need. But I also believe the following. As a culture many have learned to be "helpless". And they have learned to apply it. Ouch. A new term "applied learned helplessness". People have learned to like being helpless and they apply  that knowledge at all times. Kind of like our dog Gibbs. He was able to get himself into this boat, but did not want to jump out. He sat there looking pathetic until I helped him out. He has learned how to make helplessness work for him.

My mother used to say. "If you are looking for a helping hand,  first look at the end of your own arm."

The same people who receive help often are not available in any way to help others. I recently timed what it takes to make a phone call of encouragement to someone. A whopping four minutes!!!!! We must teach and encourage each other through love and accountability to do what we can for ourselves and others. Helpless ness that is learned and applied is just laziness at it's best.

Pray today for God to stimulate us to move on our own behalf, evaluate if we can do it ourselves, and if not, while others might be helping us, seek what can we do for someone else. And do it without grumbling. Feel free to pass this one on. You might just save someone from a case of terminal "learned applied helplessness".

God bless,
Have a wonderful week.

Marty