A long time ago, in a land far, far, away, I performed with a Christian drama group. We were oh so young. Going from church to church, we performed skits and short plays that had Biblical themes. Quite an experience, and very good memories. Usually, we performed in the evening during Saturday or Sunday services. And, periodically, I would play my guitar and sing during the morning service to draw support for the evening’s performance. It’s one of these occasions that comes to mind now.

We were scheduled to perform on Sunday evening at a small church near the coast in central California. So, there I was, playing my guitar and singing during the morning service. All was going according to plan, well, until it didn’t. The song went well. It was when I was done that everything fell apart. Looking back, I can almost laugh, no, really laugh. Belly laugh. At the time though, I wasn’t thinking it was so funny.

A chair and microphones had been provided on the main sanctuary stage. As is usually the case, the stage was raised above the main floor so the audience can see more easily. Not raised very high. Just three or four steps. So, when I finished the song and some sort of brief comment, I stood, guitar in hand, and began to make my way off the stage. Then it happened: As I stepped down the first step, my ankle collapsed under me. Completely folded. It didn’t hurt, but I lost my balance and rolled down the remaining steps. I’m not exaggerating here. I rolled, guitar thudding, and ended up at the feet of an elderly woman sitting in the first row.

I’ll say again that I wasn’t hurt. I did become hyper aware of everything around me. I didn’t hear any laughter but I’m sure I imagined that there was. Immediately, I was surrounded by several men who had jumped from their seats to help me. That’s what you do, after all, when someone falls you go to help them up. And see if they are okay, right? And there they were. Kind men trying to help. There were, “Are you okay?”s and “Can I help you?”s all around.

I hope that my responses were kind in return. “I’m okay.” “Thank you, thank you.” In my mind though, the embarrassment was at a peak. While I really was okay and really didn’t need help, if I did, would I have admitted it? I hope and pray that I am not particularly prideful. As I think about it though, this episode seems like a metaphor for our human condition. We don’t like to admit our need. We don’t like to think that we need help. We want to believe that we are self-sufficient. The reality is that nothing could be further from the truth.

The Bible tells us, “You were dead in your transgressions and sins.” (Eph 2:1) Dead! When you are dead there is simply no way that you can help yourself. Sure, you might say Paul is using hyperbolic language to make his point. But he isn’t. Because of our sin we are dead. The day of our physical death may not come until tomorrow, or next week, or next year. Who knows? What we do know, or should know, is that death is a sure thing. Period. There is no way around it. We can’t do anything about it. Not by ourselves. We need help.

Thank God that He provides the help we need. Paul writes to Titus, “At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.” (Tit 3:3-5)

Don’t let the tense of these passages mislead you. While, “You were dead” and “At one time” are past tense, these passages do not refer to any sort of “blanket” coverage, “blanket” forgiveness, or “blanket” life for everyone because of what God has done through the cross of Jesus. Rather, they refer to “available” forgiveness and life to those who are willing to admit their need and cry out to God for help, accepting His “kindness and love.” For those who have accepted help, God gives life in place of death. We simply admit that we need His help. “He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy.” Our need is urgent. His gift is free.

God lovingly waits for us to call on Him and accept His help. He allows us, more than that, He pleads with us, “to approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Heb 4:16) I need help. We all need help. People we know need help. Let’s approach God’s throne to receive the help we need.

Dave Foucar has a passion for teaching God’s word. His first book, “What Do I Say When Asked About Jesus?” is a conversational approach to helping people answer questions about Jesus. The book provides a layman’s perspective on personal evangelism and the basics of the Christian faith. Dave has been married for thirty-six years to the love of his life, Debbie. They have three daughters, two sons-in-law, and two granddaughters. To read more of David’s writing visit his Substack page.

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