247. Who, not How

I like to do things on my own. I didn’t even know how to hammer a nail on a wall before I got married. But thanks to Jennifer, I think I became a lot handier than before. When something goes wrong, I think about “how” to fix it. Doing things yourself gives some level of satisfaction. And because it is yours, you tend to make sure it is done well. And if it is a repetitive maintenance job, the more you do it, the faster you become at it.

This week, our washing machine began to leak. As always, I began to assess the problem to fix it. But it looked like the water was leaking from the inside, not the outside. I began to feel a little helpless as I knew very little about a washing machine. Watching youtube videos usually helps but in this case, nothing seems to help. So I gave up. With a hurt ego, I decided to call a technician. Fortunately, I was able to get someone quickly. He came over, assessed it, did a few test runs, and in less than half an hour, he found that a faulty switch was causing the leak inside. Though I had to pay for the service, I felt very relieved and glad I called someone.

Many people try to live their life on their own. Thanks to the many resources available online, you can get by. You can fix many things on your own. But there comes a time when nothing works, and you feel like you ran out of solutions. People can help, but there is a limit. That’s when you need “God.”

Having a faith community is vital because you need people to pray for you when things go south. Any person can pray for you, but prayer becomes genuine when there is a relational deposit through constant gathering, and earnest prayer is powerful. (James 5:16)

So, instead of trying to fix the situation on your own all the time, call up someone. Ask for help. Get some advice. Above all, share your problems with your house church members so that they can pray for you. Life is better when we begin to think about “Who, not how.” “I lift my eyes toward the mountains. Where will my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1-2)