Help Wanted

It’s rare, but every now and then you may see a sign posted which reads:  “help wanted”.  Depending on where the sign is posted you can pretty much determine what type of help is wanted.  For example:  Kyla just graduated high school and desperately needs to find work to help her mom who is struggling financially.  She happens to see a “help wanted” sign in a daycare facility not far from her home.  She loves children and decides to check it out.  The owner, Katy, meets with Kyla right on the spot and they click.  She offers Kyla the job and wants her to start right away. 

Large corporations can afford to use headhunters (employment recruiters) to find the best candidates (help) based upon criteria pre-determined by employers.  In essence the employer needs help too, they just post the help wanted signs differently.  For example:

Ashton graduated magna cum laude from Fisk University with a Masters in Marketing.  While at Fisk he interned with a large marketing firm and gained invaluable work experience.  His former supervisor, Avery, connected Ashton with a fraternity brother, Alejandro, who is a manager at a major headhunter firm.  Using Ashton’s resume and the criteria from a high end employer, he was able to match Ashton with just the right leads.  Ashton negotiated the desired salary, benefits and a signing bonus (thanks to the extra coaching that he received from Alejandro and Avery. 

Before either of these employers could hire anyone, they had to first recognize they needed help; make a decision to act on that recognition, come up with a hiring plan and then make their requests known.

My thought for today is:  Help Wanted

Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again and again. Anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirst—not ever. The water I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life.” The woman said, “Sir, give me this water so I won’t ever get thirsty, won’t ever have to come back to this well again!”  John 4:13-15 (The Message)

Jesus and the disciples were on their way back to his home town of Galilee, however, they had to pass through a land (County) called Samaria.  Jews did not associate with Samaritans.  There was mutual disdain, they were racists.  Jesus is tired and hungry from his journey and instructs the disciples to go into the small town of Sychar to get lunch while he waits by the well.  A Samaritan woman comes to the well near Jesus to get water.  We can assume she is poor because she has no servant to complete this task and Jesus and the disciples have no donkey or horses and travel by foot for the most part.  They both have something in common, poverty.  He does the unthinkable and asks her to give him water.  Jesus the “rule breaker” he is, asks the woman for water.  

The woman who was so insignificant that we don’t even know her name, was completely shocked that Jesus even spoke to her.  Not knowing who Jesus was, but assuming he wasn’t a “baller” based on his appearance, gave her a false sense of comfort that she could boldly ask: “Why are you asking me to give you water”, in other words, “why are you asking me for help.”  Which gave him permission to engage in a life changing conversation.  He told her about the fresh “living water” that he possessed.  She was like, “Chile' please, you don’t even have a bucket for this well water, how you gone give me fresh living water?”

Though the journey made Jesus tired and hungry he made a choice to stop at that town, at that well, at that time because he knew that woman needed His help.  She like many unsaved women today felt unfulfilled.  She had been looking for satisfaction but all she found was more emptiness.  She desperately wanted help but didn’t know where to get it or who to ask.  She thought her “help” was in a man.  So she married five different men and the one she was currently with was her sugar daddy, except he was broke too.  The mere fact that she engaged in conversation with Jesus and then asked for the “living water” confirms she wanted help. 

How many of you can identify with this woman in some aspect, maybe not all the husbands, but wanting help and/or perhaps not knowing where to get it from?  Just as Jesus provided living water for this Woman, he will do the same for you, but you have to position yourself like she did.  I believe she wanted to live right she was just misguided.  She believed her help was through a man and she was right, it was the Man Jesus.

What I love about this woman is that even though she was skeptical, she was honest.  Jesus asked about her husband and she admitted she didn’t have one

“I have no husband,” she said. “That’s nicely put: ‘I have no husband.’ You’ve had five husbands, and the man you’re living with now isn’t even your husband. You spoke the truth there, sure enough.  John 4:17-18 (The Message)

How do I get the help?

1.     Be honest.  Turn the search light on and look inward.  You don’t need anyone to tell you what you should/should not do, you already know.

2.     Position yourself.  She got up and got out.  Laying up with her man all day, medicating herself or burying herself would have didn’t get her in front of Jesus, she had to take action.  Do you know that some people are so trifling that they won’t even participate in their own rescue?  C’mon you at least gotta show up for you and if not for you, then how about your kids or someone special to you?

3.     I believe this chick had game.  She knew how to get what she wanted but I also believe she was sincere and she was tired. You can’t “play” God.  It’s all or nothing.

4.     Open your mouth and ask.  She asked Jesus for help “give me this living water”.  You too can ask Jesus to help you.

And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13 (NKJV)

“Don’t bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This isn’t a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we’re in. If your child asks for bread, do you trick him with sawdust? If he asks for fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? As bad as you are, you wouldn’t think of such a thing. You’re at least decent to your own children. So don’t you think the God who conceived you in love will be even better?  Matthew 7:7-11 (The Message)

5.     Trust:  She trusted that Jesus would help her.  Are you willing to trust Him?  I don’t mean with your mouth, I mean with your “stuff”.  Be sincere

Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.

Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil! Proverbs 3:5-6 (The Message)

In His Humble Excellence

Tan