{"id":1202,"date":"2010-08-01T01:40:02","date_gmt":"2010-08-01T01:40:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2010\/08\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-home-depot-and-experiencing-gods-joy.html"},"modified":"2010-08-01T01:40:02","modified_gmt":"2010-08-01T01:40:02","slug":"sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-home-depot-and-experiencing-gods-joy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2010\/08\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-home-depot-and-experiencing-gods-joy.html","title":{"rendered":"Sunday Inspiration from The High Calling<\/em>: Home Depot and Experiencing God’s Joy"},"content":{"rendered":"
READ Psalm 146:1-10<\/a><\/div>\n
 <\/div>\n

\n[J]oyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper,
     whose hope is in the LORD their God.
\n<\/p>\n

Psalm 146:5<\/a><\/div>\n

\nThe other day I needed an unusual piece of hardware. I wasn’t sure what
\nit was called, but figured I could find it in my local Home Depot. When
\nI got there, I walked up and down the aisles, scanning the shelves for
\nthis odd little piece of metal. Before long, one of the workers
\napproached me with a predictable question: “Hello. May I help you find
\nsomething?” I gave a predictable answer. “No thank you,” to which he
\nresponded, “Well, let me know if I can help you.”<\/p>\n

As
\nthe potentially helpful man walked away, I wondered why I had declined
\nhis help. On the surface, I didn’t know what to call the piece I
\nneeded. But I could surely have described its shape and function. So
\nwhy didn’t I do this? In part, I didn’t want to reveal my ignorance.
\nI’m a man, after all. Shouldn’t I know the name of every piece of
\nhardware in the world? But this wasn’t the whole story. As I prowled
\nthe aisles of Home Depot, I thought of my long history of not asking
\nfor help. Self-Reliance has gripped my soul for decades, even before I
\nread Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essay by this name when I was in high
\nschool. It just feels wrong to need help, even when I do in fact need
\nhelp, even when help would make my life better and, indeed, more joyful.<\/p>\n

To
\nbe fully honest here, I don’t even like to rely on God for help.
\nThere’s some prideful part of me that thinks I can do everything by my
\nown strength, presenting my life to God as a self-reliant sacrifice. I
\nknow this is silly and, in fact, sinful. But I must do battle all the
\ntime with my peculiar penchant for living out the classic line from an
\nold Anacin commercial: “I’d rather do it myself!” <\/p>\n

Yet, by
\nGod’s grace, I am learning to look to him for help. Sometimes this
\ncomes when I botch up my life so badly that I have no other choice.
\nSometimes, however, the actual experience of God’s help so impresses me
\nthat I am encouraged to turn to him more readily. The more I see myself
\nclearly, and the more I know God clearly, the more I realize just how
\nmuch I do need his help . . . and how ready he is to supply it.<\/p>\n

Thus,
\nas I grow in grace, I am learning to trust the truth of Psalm 146:5:
\n“[J]oyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose
\nhope is in the LORD their God.” <\/p>\n

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION<\/strong>:
\nDo you find it easy to ask for or to rely upon others for help? If so,
\nwhy? If not, why not? What encourages to rely on God for help? <\/p>\n

PRAYER<\/strong>: O Lord, in my head, I know
\nfull well that relying on you is best. I know that I am limited and
\nsinful, and that self-reliance will fail me. Yet there is something in
\nme that rebels against getting help, even from you. Forgive me, Lord,
\nfor my arrogance and pride. Forgive me for my foolishness, in thinking
\nthat I can “do it myself.” <\/p>\n

By your grace, Lord, help me, yes,
\nhelp me to turn to you for help in all things. May I learn to rely on
\nyou, not just when I’m in a jam, not just when I’ve made a mess of
\nthings, but each moment of each day. May I learn to practice your
\npresence in all things, even in activities that seem to require nothing
\nfrom you. May I be open to the “more” that you might want to do in and
\nthrough me as I trust in you and lean on your power.<\/p>\n

Gracious God, may I know each day the joy of having you as my helper and my hope. <\/p>\n

In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen<\/em>.<\/p>\n

_________________________________________________<\/p>\n

\"high-calling-screenshot-4.jpg\"<\/span>Would you like to receive a Daily Reflection like this one in your email inbox each morning?  <\/strong><\/p>\n

Here’s how . . . . <\/em><\/strong>
\nThis devotional comes from The High Calling of Our Daily Work <\/em>(www.thehighcalling.org<\/a>), a wonderful website about work and God<\/em>. You can read my Daily Reflections<\/a> there, or sign up to have them sent to your email inbox<\/a> each day. This website contains lots of encouragement for people who are trying to live out their faith in the workplace.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

READ Psalm 146:1-10   [J]oyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper,     whose hope is in the LORD their God. Psalm 146:5 The other day I needed an unusual piece of hardware. I wasn’t sure what it was called, but figured I could find it in my local Home Depot. When I…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1202","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sunday-inspiration"],"yoast_head":"\nSunday Inspiration from The High Calling: Home Depot and Experiencing God's Joy - Mark D. 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Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1202","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1202"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1202\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1202"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1202"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1202"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}