Oh S***, I’m Stuck!

Ever said those words? And yeah, there’s a word of great frustration in there because truth, at some point in our lives, we’ve all been “stuck” so much in something that we were angry enough to say a little profanity.

In worship on Sunday, I shared two stories of personal “stuck-ed-ness.” First, because I refused to admit that I needed help from the one who ultimately could give it, I stayed stuck for much longer than necessary.

Thomas A Kempis said,

“The acknowledgment of our weakness is the first step in repairing our loss.”

Yet, we struggle to take that first step because no one likes to admit where we are weak.

We like to keep stuff on the “surface level” because it is easier to deal with. Then, at some point, we all pretend that all is well and we need to work on nothing because it is just easier that way.

This, however, is not sustainable. We end up building walls around ourselves and cheat ourselves out of relationships not just with one another but also with God. When we don’t admit our weaknesses and ask for help, we miss out on that connection for us. The connection that provides us power, clarity, wisdom, and peace.

Example – using the story of getting my car stuck in the mud. It would be easy to say that I didn’t want to ask Tom for help because I didn’t want to bother him, but that wasn’t it.  The REAL reason I didn’t want to ask for help was that I didn’t want to “need” him.

If I “need” someone, then I become dependent on them, and ultimately then they have the power to hurt me. And the last thing I want is to be hurt. So, therefore, it’s just easier if I am completely self-reliant and don’t “need” anyone for anything.

And what a crappy way to live. Little did I know this was a pattern I had. Fortunately, Tom was brave enough to call me on it . . . that coupled with therapy enabled me to see that the real issue at hand was my lack of willingness to be vulnerable with those closest to me. Thus, my “weakness” was a lack of vulnerability. I needed to learn to say, “please, help me.”

Where are your weaknesses? Where do you need to learn to say, “Please, help me.”

And not just to other humans, but also to God. When we confess our needs to God, it expands us and removes our self-reliance and ego.

Try thinking about your needs and weaknesses today. Then, tomorrow we will explore reframing those needs!