When the automatic doors opened and the ninety-degree temperature and high humidity hit me full force, I wished I had taken the young man up on his offer. I could have let him load my groceries while I started the car and got the air conditioner going.

But it wasn’t just at the grocery store where I declared my independence. The Lord began convicting me that I was guilty of rejecting offers of help when I should be accepting. My good friend Donna had kindly offered to help with my family’s garage sale, but I didn’t want to inconvenience her. So I told her we had it covered. Another time after I’d had minor surgery, one of our neighbors asked if she could bring meals for a few days. “Thank you, but it’s really not necessary,” I insisted. I even found myself trying to do things on my own when God wanted to help me. Thanks, God, but I can handle this all by myself.

I began to realize that God wants us to obey when He calls us to do something, but He doesn’t expect us to accomplish everything on our own.

Sometimes we need others’ help. If we continually reject offers to assist us, we’re depriving them and ourselves of a blessing. If you have trouble accepting help from others, ask the Lord if pride may be keeping you from accepting the gracious gestures of neighbors and friends. He has placed us in the body of Christ to help one another.