Our son, who recently turned two, has begun randomly shouting out to us “I need help!” when he finds himself in a situation that he doesn’t know how to navigate. It’s obviously a very cute thing to witness, but it also became a stark reminder to me of my need for Jesus.
Jesus said in Luke 18:17 - “Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” That truth has several implications, but one of them is that we are meant to recognize our helplessness and dependence upon Jesus if we are going to enter the Kingdom. To come to Jesus in faith, in part, is to come to Him declaring “I need help!”
And it’s more than help we need. Before Jesus, we are “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1) and apart from Him, we can do “nothing” (John 15:5). So to come to Jesus is to cry out to Him in faith knowing that He alone can raise us to life, save our souls, and be the Help that we so desperately need.
When my son cries out for help, as a father, I cannot help but run to his aid and figure out how to help him. But even with all the love I have for my son, I am imperfect, impatient, and sometimes opt for a quick fix just to appease him in that moment. Our Heavenly Father, who is perfect, is always patient, always kind, and always comes to our aid with an answer that will always be for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28).
Sometimes, my son needs help in a different way than he was asking for it, and the same is true of us when we cry out to God in prayer. As a good Father, He comes to our rescue when we call and He always does what is in accordance with His good and perfect will - even when it’s not what we expected or even wanted from Him. And in those moments, the same faith that called out to Him saying “I need help!” is the faith we need that will allow us to say “not what I will, but what you will.”
Still, there are other times when my son does need my help but refuses to ask for it because he thinks he is independent. I have to think that the Lord chuckles a little watching me parent my son in these moments because it’s exactly how I treat Him sometimes. I act like I don’t need God’s help and end up making a huge mess only to run to him in shame and repentance. Even then, He is patient and kind, quick to forgive, quick to shower me with grace, and eager to set me back on the path of righteousness.
Parenting continues to teach me so much about the love of my Father for me. And in this case, it has taught me that I need to never lose the childlike faith that quickly goes to my Father and exclaims: “I need help!”