The Strong Should Help the Weak

"We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves."  Romans 15:1

     My pastor Mat wrote me,  "Once when I was dealing with a difficult person, my father-in-law encouraged me with these words,  "It's the job of the strong to take care of the weak."  His words made Mat feel that his father-in-law understood his situation and that, in that case, Mat was the stronger party.  As such, this behooved him to be patient and caring toward the other person.  God has given us strength and wisdom and other resources to use in helping others.  What a joy to have this perspective on what otherwise might be tedious, trying situations.
     There is a great example of the stronger helping the weaker in Numbers 12.  Moses' brother and sister, Aaron and Miriam, began to criticize Moses.  They talked against him because of his Cushite wife and his position of leadership among the Israelites.  Number 12:2 tells us that they said,  "Has the Lord spoken only through Moses....Hasn't he also spoken through us?"  They were jealous of Moses.  Numbers 12:2 also tells us that the Lord heard what they said.  We can hide nothing from God.  He hears every word we speak, sees every action we take, and knows even our every thoughts.
     God was not pleased with Aaron and Miriam.  He came down and visited them in a pillar of cloud and defended His servant Moses.  When God left, Miriam's skin had become leprous.  Aaron quickly apologized to Moses for what they had said and begged him to help his sister.  If you had been Moses, what would you have done?  Moses could certainly have said,  "That will hush you two up.  She's getting just what she deserves."  But Moses had great strength of character.  He cried out to God on Miriam's behalf, asking Him to heal her, and God did.  When we are the stronger party in a situation, God wants us to help the weaker person as Moses did.
     We all like to be the strong one, able to give needed assistance.  But the truth of the matter is we are sometimes the weaker one, needing assistance and understanding.  How deeply we should appreciate the strength, patience, help, and encouragement of those who have come along side us and lifted us up and spurred us on!  May we be grateful for those helpers when we are the weaker, needy one, and may we pass along that helping attitude toward others when we are the stronger one.

Father, how we thank You for helping us so many times in our weaknesses.  We thank You for all those people who were Your channels to give us assistance and encouragement.  May we seek to help others, kindly and patiently, in their times of weakness.  Amen.