Who is Holding You Up?

Exodus 17

8 Then Amalek came and fought against Israel at Rephidim. 9 So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose men for us and go out, fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will station myself on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” 10 Joshua did as Moses [i]told him, [j]and fought against Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 So it came about when Moses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand [k]down, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses’ hands were heavy. Then they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other. Thus his hands were steady until the sun set. 13 So Joshua [l]overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

I mentioned in my last blog God has been peeling away my layers like an onion.  A couple of weeks ago I was asked to fill in on a Wednesday night for our ladies class at church.  I was hesitant to teach, but after praying and being assured by God he would provide the lesson I agreed.  I worked all week on a great lesson on sowing seeds.  Then on the way to work Wednesday morning, God let me know clearly that wasn't the lesson he wanted me to teach.  He led me to Exodus 17 and another soul bearing experience.

I’ve always been the type of person to try to take care of things myself and not bother anyone else with my problems.  I’ve always felt my calling to be the encourager…and God has used a very clear, very real time over the past few weeks to show me that guess what?  There are times when the encourager needs encouraging too.  It had been a difficult past several weeks.  Surgical menopause has played a number on my mental state, and I've really struggled.  I had kept that very quiet.  Until Wednesday night. 

We want to be powerful Christians.  We want to be wives who support our husbands, husbands who support our wives, and parents who pour into our children so they are equipped to face the world head on.  More times than not, life happens.  But we like to hide behind the pressure of letting everyone think “we have it all together.”  We hide our fears and weaknesses, feeling we need to be strong for others.  But to truly grow as spiritual leaders we need to embrace the support of trusted friends and advisers.  We are not going to beat discouragement and fatigue all by ourselves.  Simply put…We need each other. 

So I shared this great passage from Exodus as a reminder of how we Christians need to hold each other up in order to accomplish the work we were called to do.  


Ways we can hold up our fellow Christians.

Be a Prayer Warrior. 
Pray for them, and pray WITH them. 
          
Invest through Empathy
Take the time to empathize with their struggles and burdens. If we desire to impact their lives, we must first let their lives impact us. If we would touch lives, we must invest through empathy.

Invest through Encouragement
Encouragement goes straight to the heart. 
  •  Remind fellow Christians of the specific promises of God
  • Make celebration a more regular part of your relationships…celebrate other’s victories, large and small
  • Sometimes just being there is encouragement
  • Use encouragement as outreach.  Remember the power of thank you.  Write notes to people you interact with on a daily basis.
Now we have talked about how to help each other.  But what about ourselves? 

John 10:10 has been my verse since I watched the War Room. and I realized just how much power I let Satan have in my life.  “The thief has come only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life and have it more abundantly.”  

Step 1:  Admit we cannot do things alone
Philippians 4:13  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.  Not I can do all things when I blaze my own trail and try to do things on my own power. 
Step 2:  Taking it to God
Pray for God to surround you with Godly  people who will support you.
Step 3:  Reaching out
Sometimes people don’t realize you need help unless you ask for it. 

Who is Holding You Up?
Who are your Aaron and Hur's? " WITHOUT these two men holding up Moses' hands, the Israelites would have likely lost the battle. As great of a leader that Moses was, he couldn't do it alone. He needed help, encouragement, strength and concern from his "team" of friends and supporters.

I challenge you this week to take a moment to thank the Lord for your "Aaron and Hur's." Take a moment and identify who you are thankful for. Who is it that sends you texts to encourage you? Calls you on the phone and "spur's you on" in your walk with Christ? Sends you cards of appreciation? Knows exactly when you need some encouragement?

When those people come into your mind, go ahead and thank the Lord for them. Then, why not go a step further? Send that person a text, card, email or call them on the phone to say "thank you" for their involvement in your life.

 

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