Therefore, strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated. Hebrews 12:12-13
Twenty-ish years ago, I walked into a gym for the first time in years. I knew very little of what I ought to be doing, but being about fifty pounds overweight, I finally decided it was time to do something about it. I observed some other guys who were more adept at it than I was and determined I should just do what they did. After quickly discovering the weakness of my cardiovascular system on the treadmill, I made my way to the bench press. I looked at some guys who were on the other benches to figure out how much weight to put on the bench. When I began the lift, the bar rose off the rack so easily I initially thought I had put too little on it. Feeling confident, I lowered the bar to my chest, began to lift it, and quickly realized I had no hope of lifting the bar off myself. I had bitten off more than I could chew.
I quickly began surveying my options to escape from this impossible load under which I had so foolishly placed myself. I might have been able to drop it off to one side of me, but I feared losing control of it and hurting myself or someone else. Finally, after a few seconds of panicked deliberation, I cried out to one of the other gym patrons, “A little help, please!” A kind gentleman rescued me from my self-inflicted peril before I injured myself. After inquiring if I was okay, he quietly went back about his workout. I was plenty embarrassed, but I was more thankful to be rescued from a situation that has injured many men.
In many ways, this situation parallels a spiritual reality we all need to consider. In James 5:19-20, we read the warning of wandering from the truth and the need for someone to turn us back. When we wander in this way, we put ourselves in an impossible situation (impossible on our own, at least- cf. Matthew 19:23-26)). It is true enough that some come back with no prodding from peers, but these are clearly the exception and not the rule. One of the reasons so many people never return to the Lord is that they often refuse to ask for help. They delude themselves into thinking they have it all under control, and before long the weight of their foolish decision(s) crushes them. Another reason people never return is that those in a position to help them often choose not to help for fear of such confrontations.
Most of us are averse to asking for help when we collapse under sin’s load just as most of us are averse to calling out the errors of others for fear of offending, embarrassing or hurting their feelings. No one enjoys embarrassment, but it is far better than being left in our errors and losing our souls for eternity. As Paul told the Galatians, “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:1-2). Just as I needed someone stronger to lift the weight bar from my chest, those who have gotten caught under the weight of their own sinful decisions need someone to help them escape it. If you are caught in Satan’s snare, do not be ashamed to find a faithful brother or sister and cry out, “A little help, please!” If we see someone collapsing under the weight of sin, let’s not sacrifice their souls for eternity to protect their feelings (or ours) for a brief time in the here and now. Our everything is riding on this decision, so let’s choose wisely.