You Know What You Need

The war was breaking loose all around him. They were stuck in a shallow ravine, and the enemy was closing in on all sides. One by one his men were being picked off, and he knew he needed help. Quickly he surveyed the attack being played out before his eyes; one well planned, no doubt, by his enemies, those seeking to destroy him and his men. Calling out to his key leaders, he asked, “What do you need?” followed by the encouragement, “Don’t give up and hold fast; help is on the way!” Taking in all he had heard and the actions taking place before him, he called out to those outside the battle–his support team. While they were out of range and unable to physically join the battle, they were able to provide support, both morally and physically–all they need do is choose to respond. He called first for an air strike, giving the exact coordinates and specific direction; he then waited for the response. After a short delay, he heard these painful words, “You know what you need to do is. . .” His response, “We did that and I lost many men. I need an air strike!” However, now the enemy had come even closer, too close for an air strike; now he needed reinforcements! Once again, he radioed in, “I need reinforcements on my right flank–they’re breaking through my lines!” The response, again, was not what he wanted to hear, “First you need to try. . . ” Again, his heart sank as the enemy was now overwhelming his position. “I tried that–never mind, it’s too late!” With those words, the radio became forever silent–all was lost, the enemy had won, all were dead. You see, on this fateful and fictional day, these men assigned a task were doing all they could to hold their ground and fulfill their call; they had given all they had and failed. Their failings were not because of lack of perseverance, ability to follow orders, or commitment to their call. They failed because they did not have the support needed from those who could truly help them win the battle. Unfortunately, today, we believers are all too willing to offer our advice and withhold our prayers and support. We spend our time trying to fix the situation as opposed to trusting that the people in the situation are well aware of what they need. More often than not what they need are our prayers because, after all, when God is in control we, too, need to surrender to and trust Him. The reality is that when we offer advice or attempt to fix things, we are often saying, “God is not enough; He needs my help.” In our pride, all too often we do more to contribute to the enemies success than to the Lord’s ultimate victory in a given situation. We tend to listen to those outside of the battle and join in with their advice or counsel more than we do those who are in the battle. I implore you to ask yourself, “Am I responding to circumstances, rumor, or perception, or am I trusting the God of all creation in every situation?” When we respond to any situation based upon what we see or think we see or what others are saying, we are in error. We are in danger of causing greater pain and suffering to those we care about and love. Should we not be concerned? Should we turn a blind eye? No, we pray! We avoid gossip, and we stop rumors and lies by not listening to those speaking them. If we want a biblical Godly approach, we go to the source first, and we ask: “What do you need?” rather than “You know what you need to do is. . . ” This simple act will do more to build trust, show compassion, and solve challenges than any other action you can take. After all, when we are in the battle, when we are failing, and when we are struggling, we don’t need anyone to tell us what we already know–we need prayers, grace, and mercy; the same thing Jesus gave and commands us to give. Gene Burroughs, Pastor