Hey, carpool crew. I'm Pastor Justin, and I'm so glad you're here today. Let me ask you a question. Have you ever needed help but didn't ask for it? Maybe you didn't understand the homework. Maybe you had a problem with a friend. Maybe you were carrying something really heavy, not in your hands, but on your mind or in your heart. But still, you didn't speak up. You just kept thinking, I should know this. I should be able to figure this out myself. What if someone thinks I'm weak or dumb for asking? If that sounds like you, you're not alone. But I want you to hear something powerful today. Jesus loves it when we ask for help. All month long in October we are talking through what Jesus would say about the things that scare us, and sometimes asking for help is scary. Here's what it says in Proverbs chapter 11, verse 2. "When arrogance comes, disgrace follows, but with humility comes wisdom." See, this fear isn't about danger. It's about pride and the lie that we have to figure everything out on our own. You might be scared to ask for help because you think you'll look dumb, even though you won't. You think you should already know the answer, or you don't want to bother someone, or maybe you feel like asking means you failed somehow. None of that is true. The truth is, asking for help takes courage. Asking for help shows humility, and Jesus loves a humble heart. Jesus told his followers all the time to come to him. In Matthew 11, verse 28, he said, come to me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. That's another way of saying, if you are carrying something heavy, maybe in your mind or in your heart, bring it to me. Don't carry it alone. I want to help. And in the Bible, humility isn't weakness, it's strength. The proud try to act like they know it all. The humble say, I still need help, and that's okay. If Jesus were sitting with you in the backseat or at the table today and you said, I'm scared to ask for help, what if someone thinks I'm dumb? I think he'd smile and say, even the smartest person you know needed help once. Even the strongest kid gets tired. I didn't make you to figure out everything alone. I made you to walk with others and with me. Let me tell you about Elijah, one of our listeners from New York. He and his mom shared this story with me on Instagram. He had a big math assignment. He thought he understood it until he sat down to do the problems, and nothing made sense. He got frustrated. He tried to figure it out himself. He stayed quiet at dinner. He felt embarrassed. Finally, he whispered to his dad, can you help me? I know you already showed me once, but I forgot. And his dad smiled and said, of course I'll help you. I love helping you. That's the response of a parent. And that moment reminded Elijah, asking for help isn't failure, it's family. So what can you do when you're scared to ask for help? First, start small. Ask a parent, a teacher, or an older sibling for help with just one thing, homework, a friendship problem, or something you've been thinking about lately. Second, remember that even adults need help. Your parents ask for help too. Have them share a story sometime of when they asked for help. Your teachers do too. Nobody knows everything. Lastly, offer help to others. If you have a younger sibling, make sure they know they can come to you anytime for help. You are not supposed to have all the answers. You're not supposed to be perfect. You're supposed to walk in humility, trust Jesus, and lean on the people he's placed around you. So the next time you feel like you're falling behind or stuck or unsure, don't freeze, don't fake it, ask for help. It might be one of the strongest things you ever do. Remember, no matter where you are or how you're listening, God loves you. Before you go, let's answer this question together. What's one area where you could ask for help today, and who could you go to? I'll see you tomorrow on Carpooling with Jesus.
