Mutual Helpfulness in the Home by Mrs. L. D. Avery-Stuttle

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Apr 29, 1908

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 34, No. 18.

Mutual Helpfulness in the Home

By Mrs. L. D. Avery-Stuttle

THERE are many examples of mutual helpfulness given us in the Bible. David must have been a very willing and helpful lad. What makes me think so? Because he faithfully kept his father's sheep. How many years this fell to the lot of the young man, we do not know; but we have never read of his undertaking to shirk the responsibility onto his older brothers; neither is anything said in the sacred Record about his being fretful, unhappy, or discontented. I wonder how long it would be before a youth of to-day would complain loudly and call for help, after having been left alone to the mercy of a lion and a bear.

But all this helpful but tedious drudgery, instead of spoiling the temper of the sweet singer of Israel, only fitted him the better to bear the grave responsibilities which came to him later. He was not to go unrewarded. The Lord saw in him the material for a wise and judicious ruler for His people.

Whenever we feel like bemoaning our lot, whenever we feel that we are fitted for great responsibilities and are not half appreciated, let us remember for our encouragement the fact that the inspired king of Israel began life as a humble shepherd, and that his brethren, over whom he was one day to rule, scorned and ill-treated him.

Joseph was another of those helpful characters. But O how his cruel brothers hated the lad! Still, tho he must have known of their ill feeling and jealousy, he did not offer a word of complaint when his father unthinkingly and unsuspectingly sent him on that never-to-be-forgotten errand. But, from being a willing and helpful child, he grew to be the trustworthy business manager of one of the great men of Egypt, and, finally, prime minister of the kingdom.

But, if we would have a more illustrious example still, we need only to visit in imagination the humble workshop of the Carpenter of Nazareth, who, even while the wonderful mystery of His divine mission was being constantly unfolded to Him in all its completeness and perfect beauty, went down with His parents to Nazareth, and was subject to them!

All these beautiful lives afford examples of helpfulness at home, which will be well for us as Christians to study and imitate.

But not only should we show ourselves helpful at home, but, unless we are utterly selfish, we should allow our generosity and kindly helpfulness to spread out and embrace others. The affairs of our own family should not prevent us from expressing our kindly sympathy toward others who may be in distress. It is so natural for us to place ourselves and our own selfish interests first. It is only occasionally that we find one so Christlike as to forget his own miseries while seeking to mitigate those of others.

"Well," protests Mrs. Lovepraise, "I don't propose to leave my own business at home, where my efforts are appreciated, to go out to minister to those who will not even thank one, if you wait on them all day."

But thank God, there are a few bright and shining lights in this selfish world, who so far imitate the example of their Master as never to ask whether those who need their help can be guaranteed to say "Thank you" for the favor done. When do we ever read of the Master's inquiring if a man or woman was "worthy," before He healed the sufferer? I wonder if every man, woman, and child in all those vast, hungry multitudes whom His bounty fed, were "worthy poor." Only once did He ask, mournfully, "Were there not ten healed? but where are the nine?" I tell you, if we all wait to find truly grateful objects of charity, we shall find them in no greater proportion than the Master did—one in ten.

The other day, a friend related to me a touching incident: A certain woman who had been a great sinner, profligate, and unfaithful to her marriage vow, was taken with a grievous malady, and came home to die. The wonderful kindness of her husband, whose heart and home opened to receive his erring wife, was only met with silence and bitter hatred. At last a Christian woman heard of the case, and determined to visit her. She came every day and faithfully ministered to her needs.

"Well," you say, "at least she must have shown her gratitude to this kind stranger." But she did not; and it was only because the true Christ-spirit was in the heart of this worthy woman that she still continued her kindly ministrations.

But at last there came a change. One morning as the poor invalid was receiving some benefit at the hands of her kind benefactress, she suddenly threw her arms around her neck, and burst into tears. "How can you be so kind to me," she sobbed, "when I have been so ungrateful and wicked? I have hated everybody," she continued, "because it seemed to me that no one really cared for me. But it must be God loves me, or you could not be so kind; for you are His child!"

The poor woman died shortly afterward, happy in the peace of forgiveness.

Such an experience as this is worth everything. But we are liable to become so absorbed in our own work and our own cares that we forget to be helpful to others. Of course we can not all do the same thing. We can not all be nurses or doctors. We are not all so situated that we can do for others what we would be glad to do. But we can all of us hold ourselves ready to do a kind deed and to speak a kind word to those in need of our love and sympathy. This we can do unselfishly and with no thought of reward or thanks, and remember when tempted to refuse our aid to those in need, simply because of their ingratitude, that "even Christ pleased not Himself."