I Lift My Hands

It was the wedding of one of my daughters and I needed some help getting dressed. Actually, I needed a whole lot of help getting dressed because I had just had surgery and my shoulder was immobilized! 

 

I turned to one of my son-in-laws and asked for assistance with putting on my clothes including buttoning my shirt, pulling up my pants and my socks, tucking in my shirt, pulling up my zipper, putting on tie and tie clip, my suit, my sling, and then making me look pretty by assisting with my hair. Did I forget anything?

 

Over the years, I have injured both of my shoulders multiple times and one of the hardest things to do when you injure your shoulder is to lift your hands.

 

Now, before you ponder taking me in for a post-concussion examination, or call me; “Captain Obvious”, let me assure you I have a point beyond stating the obvious.

 

I’m not just talking about the ability to be able to physically lift your hands. But rather, I am talking about being able to lift your hands to ask for help for pretty much everything having to do with your body or your life.

 

And, even though you absolutely cannot do everything by yourself and need help, it is amazing how pride will come to the surface and attempts will be made to do it all by yourself.

 

When we are young we don’t seem to mind someone else helping us get dressed or tie our shoes to anything that requires someone else doing the work. We don’t even mind when they are offering to do something personal. But for some reason, once we have a sense of things that might embarrass us if we ask for help, we don’t.

 

And yet, we still try as though somehow we can will the damaged muscle to be all better and work for us without any pain. It is as bad as though we were drowning and thinking we can rescue ourselves. And so we never lift our hands.

 

Truth is we need help for things we can’t do by ourselves. We need others.

 

It’s bad enough that we won’t ask for help for physical needs. But we also don’t ask for help when we are struggling with addictions or mental health issues or anything that deals with the mind or emotions such as low self image or depression or thoughts of suicide. We wouldn’t even admit that our eyes are getting older and that we can’t read without glasses!

 

And, unfortunately, it seems as though the older we get or the more letters after our name or in the front of our name (“Dr.”, “Rev.”, “pastor”, etc.) the more we believe that we can’t ask; that we can do it , or should do it, on our own.

 

We also don’t ask for help with spiritual issues that get at the core of who we really are.

 

And yet, we still try as though somehow we can will our damaged souls to be all better and without any pain. It is as bad as though we were drowning and thinking we could rescue ourselves.

 

Truth is we need a Savior. We need Jesus; we need Him. And we need His help.

 

And we need to lift up our hands to Him; even if that means we ask others to help us to do so.

 

Lifting our hands in worship is more that a tradition of certain types of worship services or churches. It is an action that says many things including: thanks, surrender, praise, and help! It is an acknowledgement that WE NEED HIM.

 

Lifting our hands is simply a way of telling God; “I need your help, I need you!”

 

Or As Chris Tomlin said;

“And I lift my hands to believe again
You are my refuge, You are my strength
As I pour out my heart
These things, I remember
You are faithful, God
You are faithful, God, forever
Let faith arise
Let faith arise”

 

“You’ve always been great toward me—what love!
You snatched me from the brink of disaster!” (Psalm 86:13 MSG)

 

Not sure where to start? Call 1-888-NEED HIM. Someone is waiting to help.