Short Note on Helper(s)
Everyone of us at one time or another would have heard something about helper before. In this part of the world when religious leaders are talking to their congregation, and or leading them to pray, hardly can you find 1% of them not talking about helper during their prayer or while preaching to their congregation. I will like to say few things about the word helper here.
Outside this you reading this may have also been looking forward to that person who is your helper. You may have been thinking that your life, business, academics etc. remain as it is because you lack helper, as such you have on a daily basis be on the look-out for that man or woman who will be your helper, someone who will lift you out of where you are.
Definition Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary defines helper as “a person who helps somebody to do something”.
From another perspective, I will like to say, a helper is someone who has been consistently and continuously there for a person. In other words, a helper is someone who has been consistently and continuously supportive of the person she or he has been assisting. A helper is someone who respects the person's opinion even when it is contrary to his or her opinion sometimes. Despite contrary views, a helper will still help the person to do what the person cannot do. Why do helpers do this? One may want to ask.
Why Helpers Act The Way They Act Helpers act the way they act because of the followings:
1. They Have Studied The Person to Some Levels/Degrees: the angels sent to destroy
the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah on getting there, studied briefly the life of Lot and when they told Lot to go to a certain place and Lot had a contrary view, they respected his view and consented with him, saying they will not do anything until Lot and his family get to the place. (Gen.19). It does not take eternity to study some people, most especially those who are sincere. And I do think women and ladies are very good in studying people, most especially males (or guys). I was once into love relationship with a lady, we have barely known each other, I was trying to tell her my weaknesses, but she told me I should not bother that she has seen all those flaws in me before. Therefore, sometimes a lady may be hell bent on marrying a guy even when all other people do not want her to marry the guy, but she will yet insist on going ahead with him because she has studied the guy. I think it takes longer time for men to study to know ladies.
2. They Believe in The Person. When anyone has belief in a person, the person will go an extra-length for that person. Even if all the people are going opposite direction on the issue of the person, he will not follow them. I had an experience akin to this some years back. The mother of one of my disciples started saying I was the one who did not want his son to marry a lady he was dating whereas I knew nothing about the relationship. This woman took the matter to another disciple of mine and told him everything that transpired between her son and his fiancée. After she had said all she wanted to say, this new disciple of mine told the woman that, he knew me very well and all of the accusations she had levied against me that he knew I did not do them, that when I returned from my trip, he will tell me and we shall come to her house together, but even before my arrival he emphatically told the woman that he knows I would be acquitted of those charges. When some other disciples of mine heard of this, some of them said human beings cannot be trusted and they could not stand for me in my absence, but he stood his ground for me that he knew I would be acquitted of all the charges. He could do this because he has belief in me. An example that will readily come to mind of the bible characters is the case of God and Job. God has studied the person of Job such that he relied on him without reservations. Thus, despite all odds, he indeed helped him back on his financial, health, and marital etc. feet after losing all he had. (Book of Job)
3. They Have Tried The Person: God continue to assist father Abraham because he passed all the tests that God put across to him. Helpers before determining to help someone come what may, the person would have passed some tests put across to him or her.
4. Seeing What Others Do Not See: Ruth who was the wife to one of Naomi’s sons decided not to leave her mother in-law even when Orpah left her. Ruth saw something different in her mother in-law and in the “God” she serves which was different from the “god” they serve in the land of Moab. (Ruth 1) When an helper sees in a person what others have not seen in the person, the helper will not let go that person though others may let the person go.
What/Who Helpers Are Not
1. They Are Not Oppressors: Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary defines oppressor as “a person or group of people that treats somebody in a cruel and unfair way, especially by not giving them the same rights, etc, as other people”. Helpers are not the kind of people who will treat you in an unfair way maybe because you do not subscribe to their opinion. Some politicians will say they will help people but when they discovered that you nurse a personal ambition, they will start treating you shabbily.
2. They Are Not Suppressors: when the possessions of Father Abraham and his nephew, Lot increased instead of father Abraham trying to suppress his nephew he asked that they part ways. When some apprentices are working with their masters and people are taking interest in the one-time servant, some masters will be suppressing those servants.
“So Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives.
“Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.” (Gen. 13:8-9 (NIV))
3. They Are Not Mockers: A mocker is someone who mocks. Mock is laughing at someone, often by copying them in a funny but unkind way. Those who mock will start talking about what the person failed to achieve despite trying and often times would add to the story saying what the person does not say to paint the person black before those listening to them. The wife of Hannah used to mock her because God has shut her womb.
“Because the Lord had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her” (1 Samuel 1:6 (NIV))
Having seen some of the things that helpers do not do, let us see who helpers are.
Who Helpers Are
1. They Are Supporters: Helpers are those who agree with someone, give encouragement to the person because he wants him or her to succeed. Sometimes we tend to be losing heart in what we are pursuing most especially when we meet with brick-walls on the way, when we meet with obstacles that we do not anticipate would come along our way in what we are embarking on. But when our supporters hear of this, they will encourage us because they have faith in us, they believe in our cause and what they said would assist us to brace ourselves up and continue in the journey. The servants of Naaman were his helpers when he thought what the Prophet said was absurd, debasing and embarrassing, he did not want to do what the Prophet said, but his servants came to him and advised him, encourage him to give what Prophet Elisha said a trial. He did give it a trial and he was healed.
“Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!”14 So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.” (2 Kings 5:13 (NIV))
2. They Are Promoters: they are those who raise someone to a higher or more important position life. The disciples were Jesus promoters on earth. Those whom David met and questioned of what the promises of the king were to anyone who could defeat Goliath in the battle field were his promoters those days, because they talked of him to the king.
“What David said was overheard and reported to Saul, and Saul sent for him.” (1 Samuel 17:31)
Joseph would have remained and perhaps die in the prison if not for the help of his promoter who talked about him to the king.
“Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I am reminded of my shortcomings.
“Pharaoh was once angry with his servants, and he imprisoned me and the chief baker in the house of the captain of the guard.
“Each of us had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own.
“Now a young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us, giving each man the interpretation of his dream.
“And things turned out exactly as he interpreted them to us: I was restored to my position, and the other man was impaled.”” (Genesis 41:9-13 (NIV))
3. They Are Defenders: they are someone who believes in and supports a person. The example I want to use for this is the friendship of Jonathan and David. When Jonathan’s father who happened to be the king of Israel was against David, Jonathan kept defending him before his father, telling his father that no one amongst his servants was as loyal to him and the establishment of his kingdom as David was. (I Sam. 18-20) Rahab the Harlot too was another defender that we can readily notice in the bible. When the people, warriors of Jericho wanted to kill the spies sent to view the land, Rahab defended them and kept them safe from the enemies, not only that she ensured that they took the way that they would not be captured.
“But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from.
“At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate, they left. I don’t know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them.”
“(But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax she had laid out on the roof.)
“So the men set out in pursuit of the spies on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut” (Joshua 2: 4-7 (NIV))
4. Prays For The Person in Open or Secret: Jesus prays for the disciples in the secret as well as in the open, he told Peter that he had prayed for him so that the devil will not sift him away
“And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
“But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.” (Luke 22:31-32)
Prophet Samuel told the people of Israel that he will not cease to pray for them
“Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you:” (1 Sam. 12:23a)
5. Praises The Person Anywhere: a helper will not hesitate to talk good of the person before people.
6. Discusses The Person With Those Who Can Bless him/her: the young girl that was a captive of war talked about prophet Elisha to her master in the slavery land that if they can get to him her mistress’ master would be healed of his infirmities.
“And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman's wife.
“And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy.” (2 Kings 5:2-3)
The mother of king Belshazzar talked about Daniel to her son that his father used him when he was alive and that if he can also make use of him, he will get solution to what he is troubling his mind.
“Now the queen, by reason of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banquet house: and the queen spake and said, O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed:
“There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers” (Dan. 5: 10-11)
7. Believes in The Person: helper is one that believes in the person. Take as example a spouse, a spouse who is a genuine helper will believe in his/her partner irrespective of what they may be passing through at that point in time. A spouse who does not believe in his/her partner is a time bomb that will detonate anytime, and such a one should not be considered as the person’s helper. Jonathan is someone who showed this rare trust in David in the bible, he told him that he believes in him irrespective of what he may be going through that time.
“But also thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house for ever: no, not when the LORD hath cut off the enemies of David every one from the face of the earth.
“So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let the LORD even require it at the hand of David's enemies.” (1 Sam. 20:15-16)
Types of Helpers
1) Financial Helpers: these kinds of people are those who are always assisting the person financially. A cousin of mine when he was sharing his experience with me a couple of years back of when he was a student in University Of Ado-Ekiti (now Ekiti State University) he said there is someone whom he usually visit last when he was returning to the school, he said whether other people give him something or not, this person would have prepared his package for him including money that he will take back to campus when the school resumes. On an instance he added that the economy was so poor that no one gives him anything when he got to them to tell them that the school has resumed, and he will be going back to campus. He was as well as wearied of life that he had been thinking that it would be the same when he gets to the person but on getting to him he discovered that what he had been doing before he did again which was packaging what he has for him to take back to school whether or not he got those things for him on loan he could not say because he was of low income earner but yet he could go out of his way to get him something to take back to school that year.
There are people like this who be supporting someone financially. There are people like that in the ministry of Apostle Paul, those people were always there for him financially ensuring that he lacked no financial backing for his itinerary.
2) Advisors: Some helpers serve as advisors. What they could only offer is advise to the person. The author of the book of Preachers talked about someone who advised the city on how to maneuver and be delivered from the hands of their enemies, but this man was not to be remembered after the town had been delivered.
“Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.” (Ecc. 9:15)
When king David was ruling the people of Israel, we learnt of someone whose job was to advise the king and the bible said his kind of advice was as if God descended to advise people, he was always to the point, his advice never fails to work, his advice never misses the target. That was the person’s major contribution to the development of his country, Israel then.
“And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counselled in those days, was as if a man had enquired at the oracle of God: so was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom.” (2 Samuel 16:23)
3) Prayer: what some helpers can offer is prayers. They will keep supporting the person in prayer. And it has been said that one of the best things that anyone can do for God and humans is pray. The friend of God, father Abraham, pleaded with God when he was talking with him that he will destroy Sodom city. (Genesis 18: 17-33). After patriarch Job’s recovery, there is nothing he could offer his friend, but he could offer unto God his words of prayers that God should be merciful on them.
“Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job.” (Job 42:8)
4) Material Helpers: there are some helpers like that whose main form of assistance is supporting the person with material things. This kind of helpers were present in the ministries of prophet Elijah and prophet Elisha. The widow of Zarephath’s kind of help to prophet Elijah was material, feeding him until the drought was over in the land. (1 Kings 17: 11-16). The great woman of Shunem too supported prophet Elisha materially, she also built for the man of God a room with the approval of her wealthy husband. (2 Kings 4: 8-11)
Phases of Helpers
The phases of helpers that readily come to my mind is three.
1. Early Helpers: these kinds of helpers include but are not limited to one's parents, guardians, siblings etc. Take as example, Jacob to Joseph (Gen. 37), at the early stage of Joseph’s life, Jacob was there for him. Father Abraham was there for Isaac at his early stage in life such that he could tell his chief servant to go and get for him a wife that would help him fulfil destiny, a wife that would ensure that the covenant made with him would not be destroyed. God said this of father Abraham that he knows he will instruct his household in the ways of the Lord
“For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.” (Gen. 18:19)
2. Mid Helpers: these kinds of helpers are one’s teachers in schools, some friends, servants, Pastors and religious leaders that one is close to. These kinds of helpers come during the mid-stage of life of the person, they come when the person is a youth, or when the person is just beginning to make waves in his or her endeavors in life. They are unlike the early helpers whom one comes across immediately one gets to the world and such ones would be there for the person at inception. At some times such early helpers would not be there for long may be due to death, due to war, due to natural disasters and other things. When those early helpers are not there the mid helpers will come in and in some cases they would be interwoven with the mid-helpers.
Mordecai was a slave in the palace and a gateman but he was a helper of the king because the secret plan of those who wanted to execute the king was known unto him instead of him keeping the matter to himself, after all he was a slave he could have negotiated with those people that if they do not want him to expose them to the king they should enter into agreement with him that he would be freed and would also be blessed. But he did not do that, he revealed their plan to the king and when inquiries were made into the matter it was found to be true. He did that not expecting reward.
“In those days, while Mordecai sat in the king's gate, two of the king's chamberlains, Bigthan and Teresh, of those which kept the door, were wroth, and sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus.
“And the thing was known to Mordecai, who told it unto Esther the queen; and Esther certified the king thereof in Mordecai's name.
“And when inquisition was made of the matter, it was found out; therefore they were both hanged on a tree: and it was written in the book of the chronicles before the king.” (Esth. 2:21-23)
3. Late Helpers: these kinds of helpers as the name suggests come late in one’s life. They appear when they strength of the person is fading off, when the person has retired of some activities, when the person has come of age. Example of such helper is Joseph to Jacob. It was during the old age of Jacob that Joseph came onto the scene to start to feed his father, what he could not do for years, decades he started doing for the father when the hopes of the father is not strong again. (Gen. 45-50)
However, one can equally view these divisions on what one wants to embark on, that is one's dream/vision.... Some will believe in the dream that is shared with them early (or immediately), the achievability of the dream, but with time they will not believe in it again and or they may believe but will not be around to render the needful assistances again.
When these people leave, the mid-believers would step in and so it will be for the late helpers when the mid helpers leave.
However, as a "naive" Mathematician, (because I did not study Mathematics in Higher climes) I want to say, that these helpers could undergo Venn Diagram or calculations in the wise that they can be interwoven, there could be “intersection and unions” to these phases of helpers. How do I mean? What I mean is there may be some instances in which an early helper will still maintain such status, still helping the person as others start joining the train to be assisting the person, the mid and the late helpers.
Duration of Helpers
It should be noted that the followings best describe the duration of helpers:
I. Transient/Short time helpers: These kinds of people just appear for a while in the person's life/dream/vision and disappears almost immediately. The disappearance could be due to several forces, but the truth is the time they used in rendering the assistance is but transient, a short time. An example that comes to my mind is Michal and David (I Samuel 19:11-17) after she delivered David her love from the sword of her father, his father gave her to another man as wife.
II. Protracted/Prolonged Helpers: These kinds of helpers last with the person, we may put some truthfully loving spouses into this class. Another example was the Shunemite woman in the ministry of Prophet Elisha (II Kings 4:8-12), Prophet Moses’ in-law, Jethro could also be said to fit in to this. (Exod. 2:16; 18:7-27)
Effects of Helping Others on Helpers
This could be positive or negative
a) Positive Effects
I. It will bring joy to the helpers’ hearts while helping those people
“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.”
(III John 1:4)
II. There would be peace in the helpers’ heart for helping them,
III. Such helpers could be repaid by God or man. Example is what happened unto Mordecai (Esth. 6)
IV. The helper may be opportune to share in the person's glory. Mordechai was able to share in the glory of Esther at the initial stage.
b) Negative Effects: the helper sometimes could meet with what she or he does not expect to be the outcome of assisting the person, in the wise that the person could be attacked by the enemies for helping the person she or he has helped. A case like this was documented by the author of the book of first Samuel 21:1-7 & 22:21-23. Ahimelech the priest helped David when he was in trouble and for helping him, king Saul had him killed and other priests except Abiathar who escaped.
“And Abiathar shewed David that Saul had slain the LORD'S priests.
“And David said unto Abiathar, I knew it that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul: I have occasioned the death of all the persons of thy father's house.
“Abide thou with me, fear not: for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life: but with me thou shalt be in safeguard.” (1 Sam. 22:21-23)
Effects of Not Helping
· God may decide to close the opened doors of opportunities for the person, and thus the person will go into lack and want. Consider what happened to Potiphar an officer of Pharaoh who bought Joseph from the Ishmeelites. God opened doors of blessings unto him and turned his fortune around for good, but when he failed to make proper inquiries into what happened between his wife and Joseph, God decided to close the opened doors again. The account of this story could be found from the book of Genesis chapter 39.
· The person could start experiencing little income despite investing much into business/es or whatever she or he is doing,
· The person could be experiencing difficulties and hard times on his/her children,
· God may be angry with the person as the case was with the friends of patriarch Job (Job 42:7)
“And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath.” (Job 42:7)
· It may result in death of the person,
What Hinder Helpers From Helping It is majorly the enemies at first, our arch enemy is the devil. The enemy is the one who will hinder or block people from assisting other persons, after blocking from assistance he will start using his children and servants to put obstacles along the way of the person so that the person would not be able to receive help from those who ought to help him or her.
Mechanism of Action of Helpers Suppression to Help
· When the enemies polluted the minds of the helpers through several words the person have heard then he or she will change his/her disposition to the person, started to act erratically and at the end stopped to help the person altogether. Isn’t this what happened to Joseph when he was with Potiphar? After Potiphar stopped to help Joseph, he was imprisoned. Potiphar was perhaps ensuring that he would not find means of assistance from anyone, no not in this world without him, but God proved superior, God showed that he knows the beginning from the ending.
· Other sources of such could be dreams, bad dreams, painting the person black before the person's helpers and at times by attacks.
Attack that we used to talk about in this part of the world is spiritual attack in which the enemies would shot arrows at the person, spiritual arrows, this is different from the developed world’s system of attack, they do attack people over there physically, as we see in movies, read in newspapers, when someone is displeased with how his or her partner is acting, the displeased person would confront the person directly and may shot him or her or hit him with car or something, the person will do things physically to harm the person, but such is not in vogue here, Africa and Yoruba land to be specific, when a person is annoyed with you, the person will aim at the other person secretly, setting a snare for the person and may attack the person with some chronic diseases, through their diabolism, I know the people advanced climes hardly believed this, but it happens here.
Apostle Paul having been aware of such occurrence in his interactions with the gentiles while writing to them in his epistle to the Ephesians admonishes all who have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ to put on the whole armour of God so that they will be able to withstand those spiritual stings.
“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Eph. 6:11-12)
· The worldly people may send hired killers, armed robbers, cultists to the person to warn the person so that the person would stop the assistance he or she wishes to render to the person she or he has in mind to assist.
Irony It is no gain saying that in some instances, some helpers may have it in mind to help, particularly financially, but such a one may be incapacitated at that very point in time. Albeit, the subject who has been looking unto the person for assistance may (and sometimes will) think that the person has the ability and capacity to so do, because of the person’s status in the society, but it may be unclear to the person that the one he thinks will be of assistance is embarking on some projects before the person calls for assistance and as such becomes grossly in adequate to assist at that point in time. However, at the later time the person may get to know the reason for the person’s inability to render assistance unto him or her as requested of the person then. Sometimes before some people get to know this they will become erratic and would be misbehaving, such people need to know that the so called helpers also have their lives to live and should be considerate with them.
What Can Help Helpers anyone who wants to help people should see the help that he wants to render to the people as rendering it unto the Lord. When one sees what she or he wants to do as being offering it unto the Lord she or he would keep assisting people. Take the case in Matthew 25:35-40 as an example.
God's Role: In all, it is very essential to note that it is God who usually raises helpers for people. To know how God does that would be like someone staying by the coconut tree and wanting to know how water enter... Although biologists and botanists will want to talk about transpiration but I want to believe it is more than that. It is God who inscribes it in people’s hearts to be rendering assistance to another person or group of people, if God has not done that, it will be near impossible if not totally impossible for anyone to be helping someone else. At some instances when people see how a person is rendering assistance to another person, those who see what is happening would marvel at the relationship between them that could warrant such. It is by God's design, a mystery to me and to anyone at that. And whomsoever God has touched one’s heart to be assisting, God will be supporting the person, He will be meeting with the person's needs.
Question? Has God laid it in your heart to be assisting someone? It is better you do that. Have you had a feeling to assist someone? Try and be doing that.
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