My husband dropped a bomb in my lap last Thursday night: He needed to drive my car to work because his company truck was giving him trouble. Mercifully our mechanic repaired it on Tuesday afternoon. But I was temporarily without transportation.
I had to bum rides off my dad to get groceries and take my son to dentist’s and orthodontist’s appointments. He was happy to help, and the trips were probably more fun because we rode together.
It turned into a blessing. I also had to get a ride from a friend from church to get to band practice. She, too, blessed me with her company.
There are people in the Atlantic community who will drop everything to help someone else. They don’t mind at all and are thankful they can help. I think some of these people once needed a lot of assistance and are grateful to be able to provide it instead of receive it.
It’s so human to rely on ourselves, though, isn’t it? I really didn’t like being without a car. It’s awkward to inconvenience others and embarrassing to ask for help sometimes. I’m accustomed to being able to drive wherever I need to go, whenever I need to go. And I don’t have to ask anyone for help. That’s how I like it.
But it’s amazing how much we value independence, isn’t it? It’s very American. We wanted to free ourselves from Britain. We did, with God’s and France’s help.
We believe the whole, “Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps” philosophy. We want to believe that whatever we have, we got for ourselves through our own efforts.
But I don’t think this American viewpoint is biblical. Maybe God allows us to struggle sometimes because he wants us to totally depend on Him.
I read a trilogy by Davis Bunn and Janette Oke this winter about the early church. If you’re interested, the books are titled, “The Centurion’s Wife,” “The Hidden Flame,” and “The Damascus Way.” These books faithfully follow the book of Acts, chapters two through nine.
These novels gave me a better picture of what life was like for first-century Christians. One thing that really stuck with me after I finished the series was the communal lifestyle they adopted.
They really depended on each other for food and instruction in the faith. They learned about Jesus from people who had walked and talked with Him.
And the generosity of people, such as Barnabas, provided for their needs until the first persecution of the church scattered them to other areas.
But persecution enabled these followers of the Way (Jesus) to tell others about Him and spread the gospel. They trusted and relied on God both while living in Jerusalem and sharing everything with each other, and when moving to other areas.
God worked through them to make many disciples during those days. Their witness of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection changed the world. One Thessalonian Jew said it best: “’These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.’” (Acts 17:6 NKJV)
My world wasn’t exactly turned upside down when my husband took my car for a few days. I had to sacrifice some independence, though, and rely on my dad’s and my friend’s kindness to get where I needed to go. God provided. He always provides for our needs, whether we’re first-century or twenty-first century Christians.
So if your car breaks down or you find yourself in need this week, ask God to help you. He’ll send assistance, maybe in a surprising and encouraging way.
Have a wonderful week. Blessings!