“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.” 1 John 3:16
This world can be a difficult place. It can be beautiful and wonderful too, but at some point in our lives, we are going to need help. I thought of 1 John 3:16 when I saw two bugs in my dogs’ water bucket this morning.
My dogs spent all day and night inside with me yesterday due to the stormy weather. They are used to getting some outdoor-running-around time or time in their outdoor kennel, so today they got both, and while taking them out, I got a spiritual lesson.
On my way to secure them in the kennel, I stopped to fill up their water bucket. Inside it, I saw two beetles. (I don’t know the types of each beetle. One was a June Beetle the other looked like a Firefly relative.) The June Beetle, the larger one, was floating on top of the water, and the other one was standing on its back.
To be honest, I took a brief look, dumped the bucket out, and filled it up again with fresh water. I didn’t even check to see if both bugs made a recovery. My first, though, when I saw the bugs was rude. That smaller beetle is standing on the other’s back. But then I realized, I don’t know the whole story. For all I know the beetles may have been able to communicate with each other or maybe they took turns standing on each other’s backs, and I only saw a second of their trying night in the water bucket.
I don’t know if either one of those scenarios is true, but it makes me feel better to think it was a reciprocal arrangement. It was a powerful reminder for me that we will experience both positions in life, and we have to be okay with that. Sometimes we will be the ones helping, lending others strength and calm while we tread the waters during the night, and other times we will be the ones accepting help, being raised above the waters because we can’t do it alone.
Loving support is crucial. God designed us to help each other. Whether we are like the beetle holding the other up or like the one accepting the lift, know that it’s okay. Time will continue. Things will settle down. Healing will happen. And our roles will reverse. We can’t stay in the same position forever. The person always doing the lifting will burn out, and the one always accepting the lift will become entitled. But with the proper role reversals, relationships will flourish and gratitude will blossom.
Remember the greatest help in life: the Holy Spirit. John 15:26 (ERV) says, “I will send you the Helper from the Father. The Helper is the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father. When he comes, he will tell about me.” The Holy Spirit tells our spirit only what he hears from Jesus, and Jesus speaks only what He hears from God. Wow. What a lifeline we have. What a help we have.
Though humans need to reverse roles of helping and being helped, we have a Savior who gave it all. He carried us on His back until there was no life left in Him. He gave His all for us. And when He rose again, he sent our greatest Helper to live within us.
“If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up..” Ecclesiastes 4:10