It’s a DIY World

I get regular emails from my dear friends, Ree Drummond, Joanne Gaines and other DIY people. Well, they don’t know me from Adam, but I like to think that I can cook like Ree and make over homes like Joanne. “Do It Yourself” is the trend these days. I’ve seen Hollywood personalities, children and even grannies touting their gourmet cooking abilities and I’ve seen incredible home remodels by dads and moms with time on their hands. I’ve seen crafty home décor, door wreaths, food turned into works of art, and so much more. We don’t need anyone else’s help – we can do it ourselves.

DIY applies also to the independence we declare when we are faced with personal challenges and want to handle it all by ourselves. We think we don’t need anyone’s help in getting through life. I plead guilty as I’ve become quite independent – not wanting to “bother” anyone with my “stuff”. After all, we don’t want to add our “stuff” to theirs. But that’s not how God programmed us. He made us to need Him and others. HELP – is a good 4-letter word. The fact is that we have such a do-it-your-self mindset that we never call out for help. We go to church or watch it online. We sing, praise and pray and ask God for help, but deep inside we could sure use a friend. On the inside we’re crying out for help, but on the outside, we are wearing masks (literally) that make us look like we don’t have a care in the world.

St. Paul wrote some wise words in Philippians 4:13 “I can do ALL things through Christ Who strengthens me.” It sure sounds like he was a DIY-er kind of guy, but he always relied on Christ’s strength. In verse 14, he also said to the Philippians “It was good of you to share in my troubles.” Obviously, he cried out for help to his fellow believers.

The point of this post today is to impress upon you, my FB friends, that if you need help today, cry out for help – not only to God, but to those closest to you. They don’t know you’re in trouble. They don’t know the chaos you are in. It’s time to remove the DIY mask for a moment to ask for help.

There are those around us who need OUR help. It’s time we “loved our neighbor” as ourselves. It’s time we reached out to friends and family and asked the question “Are you okay? Is there anything I can do to help you?” No surface answer accepted. No DIY mentality when it comes to reaching out for help and reaching out to others to help them.

Galatians 6:2 “HELP carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will obey the law of Christ.”