Walk the Walk: Mary Mary on Being Helpful

As women, we’re designed to share our lives with others — it’s the core of what makes each of us amazing. God created woman for relationship. The first woman ever, Eve, was created to be a “helper.” The most incredible thing is that we seem to assume that word describes her role and function. To us, being a woman – being of help and a helper – is not what you do, it’s who you are. It’s not your job function, but your heart function. When we look at the women in our lives they’re always encouraging, comforting, cooking, nurturing, cleaning or working . . . and it’s almost always for someone else. As women, we are wired to labor in and for the sake of love and loving others. This is “helping” and it varies in its intensity and purpose. Sometimes it’s a soft touch on the side of a sick child’s face. But a lot of times it can be fierce, strong and bold.

A lot of times in the Bible God is described as a helper or the help. Psalms 33:20: “We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield.” The kind of help being described there is the kind needed in war – it stands side by side as a shield. It’s ready to protect and defend.

As women, we often find ourselves in a fight. We fight cancer. We fight for our marriages. We fight for our children. And in doing so, we help.

There is much power and intensity to help. I think that in our hearts most of us sense it’s true meaning. So let it be defined for us, that “helping” is quiet and safe; and you know what, sometimes it is. True humility is “strength under control.” So at times its necessary for us to help in the ways servants do – not because we must but because our hearts love deeply enough to put the needs of others before our own. This is a beautiful part of being a woman. Other times, perhaps, we hold back our help because it means stepping out of our comfort zones and getting messy, dirty, and involved. We know it would take all of our strength, we might get wounded in the process and people could misunderstand.

No matter how we display our help –  we are “helpers” created and called by the One who is our help.

God’s heart is the place where “woman” began, and even though we look all over the place and in all kinds of people, God’s heart is where we (as women) find ourselves.

This world and everyone you’re connected to needs you, to love them, to offer what you have to share, to help as only you can help. Your help is worth much more than you can ever imagine.