Why Needing Others Doesn’t Mean You Lack Faith in God
We live in a culture, and time that celebrates independence.
“Pull yourself up by your bootstraps.” “God helps those who help themselves.” We tell ourselves to “Be strong. Don’t burden others.”
But what happens when you can’t pull yourself up? When strength runs out? When the door to healing is blocked and you need someone to help you get there?
In Mark Chapter 2, there’s a moment that challenges everything we think about faith and self-reliance. It’s a “certain day” — the kind of day when everything changes. When the power of the Lord is present to heal. When miracles happen.
But there’s a man who can’t get to that moment by himself. He’s paralyzed. The crowd is too thick. The obstacles are too many.
He needs help.
And there’s no shame in that.
If you’ve been trying to get to Jesus by yourself — and failing — this is for you.
WHEN YOU NEED HELP
Scripture Reading: Mark 2:1–4
“And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house. And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them. And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they unclosed the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.” (Mark 2:1–4, KJV)
A CERTAIN DAY
Take the time to read it slowly. Read it carefully. Read it with intent.
Because in our text, it was no ordinary day.
The Bible says it was on a certain day.
Not the same old, same old. Not just another Tuesday. It was a certain day.
You know what I’m talking about. A certain day is different. Like your wedding day. Like the day you graduated. Like the day you got that job offer. Like the day the doctor said, “You’re going to be okay.”
A certain day.
Think about it:
- There was a certain day when Jacob wrestled with an angel
- A certain day when God said “I AM that I AM”
- A certain day when the Red Sea parted
- A certain day when walls came tumbling down
Isaiah had a certain day. He said, “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and lifted up.”
Is there anybody reading this who remembers their certain day?
That certain day when you heard the gospel for the first time. That certain day when chains fell off. That certain day when burdens rolled away. That certain day when you said yes to Jesus.
Maybe you’re reading this and you’re thinking, “Rev. Cameron, I haven’t had a certain day in a long time. My days all feel the same — same struggles, same stress, same emptiness.”
Can I be honest with you?
Your children might be acting up. Your job might be tripping. Your parents might be sick. You might be sick. You might have more bills than money. Your marriage might be in trouble.
But a certain day is coming.
A certain day when God turns it around. A certain day when He flips the script. A certain day when He changes the game.
On a certain day, you were down but you got joy. You were hindered but you got hope. You were weary but you got rejuvenation.
THE POWER OF THE LORD WAS PRESENT
Here’s why this day was so special. Here’s why this day was exceptional. Here’s why the Bible calls it “a certain day”:
Because the power of the Lord was present to heal.
Everybody was there that day — lawyers, politicians, parents, children. But most importantly, Jesus was there. And the Bible says, “the power of the Lord was present to heal” (Luke 5:17).
The Greek word for power is dynamis. We get our word “dynamite” from it. Explosive power. The kind of power that permanently changes everything. As soon as it goes off, the entire environment changes.
I need one or two people reading this who believe that the power of His presence changes everything:
- Changes your perspective
- Changes your mind
- Changes your heart
- Changes your situation
When Jesus is in the room, you have power. When the Holy Ghost is there, when the Shekinah glory is there — there’s power.
And when there’s power in a building, you can hear it. There’s a certain sound. A hum that permeates the place.
When there’s power in the sanctuary, it comes with a sound:
- Sound of praise
- Sound of worship
- Sound of deliverance
- Sound of breakthrough
How many people picked up this reflection not just to read, but to receive power?
Not to check a box. Not to feel religious. But to receive power.
Power to recharge. Power to reset. Power to plug back in.
That’s all you need, isn’t it? You need power from on high. The Bible says, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).
The power of the Lord is here. Even as you read these words.
WHEN YOU CAN’T GET THERE YOURSELF
But here’s the problem in our text.
There was a man who needed that power. A man who was paralyzed. A man who had been “taken with palsy” (Mark 2:3). And he couldn’t get to Jesus by himself.
The house was packed. The crowd was too thick. The door was blocked.
He needed help.
Have you ever been there? Have you ever needed help but couldn’t get to it yourself?
Maybe you’re there right now. You know Jesus has the power. You know He can heal you. You know He can deliver you. You know He can fix what’s broken.
But you can’t get to Him by yourself.
The crowd is too thick. The obstacles are too many. The door is blocked.
That’s when you need what this man had: friends who will let you down.
Not let you down in a bad way — betray you, abandon you, disappoint you.
No. Friends who will literally lower you down to Jesus when you can’t get there yourself.
THE SHAME WE CARRY FOR NEEDING HELP
Let’s be honest about something.
We’ve been taught — especially in church culture — that needing help is a sign of weak faith.
That if you really believed God, you’d be able to:
- Pray your way through
- Fast your way through
- Worship your way through
- “Just trust God” your way through
All by yourself.
So when you can’t get to Jesus on your own, you feel ashamed.
“What’s wrong with me? Why can’t I do this? Why am I so weak? Why is everyone else getting breakthrough and I’m still stuck?”
But look at this man in our text.
The Bible never says he lacked faith. It never says he was spiritually immature. It never says he should have tried harder.
It just says: He was paralyzed. And he needed help.
Sometimes the issue isn’t your faith.
Sometimes the issue is that you’re trying to carry yourself when God designed you to be carried by community.
WHY WE RESIST RECEIVING HELP
Why is it so hard to ask for help? Why do we resist it even when we desperately need it?
1. Pride
- “I should be able to handle this myself”
- “I don’t want people to think I’m weak”
- “I’m supposed to be the strong one”
2. Past betrayal
- You asked for help before and got let down
- You trusted someone and they failed you
- You opened up and got hurt
3. Fear of being a burden
- “Everyone has their own problems”
- “I don’t want to bother anyone”
- “They’re probably tired of hearing about my stuff”
4. Religious conditioning
- “Just pray about it”
- “God is all you need”
- “If you had more faith, you wouldn’t need people”
But here’s what the paralyzed man teaches us:
Needing help doesn’t mean you lack faith. It means you’re human.
And God designed the Body of Christ so that when you can’t walk, someone else can carry you.
THE FRIENDS SHOWED UP
Here’s what I love about this story.
The text doesn’t say the paralyzed man begged his friends to help him.
It doesn’t say he had to convince them.
It doesn’t say he apologized for being a burden.
They just showed up.
“And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four.”
Four friends. Four carriers. Four people who said, “You can’t get there yourself, so we’re going to get you there.”
Do you have friends like that?
Not friends who:
- Judge you for needing help
- Make you feel guilty for struggling
- Tell you to “just have more faith”
- Offer advice but no action
But friends who:
- Show up when you can’t show up for yourself
- Carry you when you can’t walk
- Believe for you when you can’t believe for yourself
- Refuse to let you stay paralyzed
Those are rooftop friends.
And if you don’t have them, you need to ask God to send them.
Because you were never designed to get to Jesus all by yourself.
THE CROWD
Now here’s the complication in the story.
The paralyzed man had friends willing to help. But when they got to the house where Jesus was, there was no room.
“And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door.”
The door was blocked. The windows were full. The crowd was too thick.
They couldn’t get in the normal way.
Have you ever experienced this?
You’re trying to get to Jesus, but:
- Religious people are in the way (gatekeepers who decide who’s “worthy”)
- Tradition is blocking the door (“We’ve never done it that way before”)
- Your past is creating obstacles (“You did what? You can’t be here”)
- Your pain is too messy for the polite church crowd
The normal way doesn’t work for you.
The front door is blocked.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t get to Jesus.
It just means you need friends who will find another way.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU TODAY
If you’re reading this and you’ve been trying to get to Jesus by yourself — and failing — here’s what I need you to know:
1. Today can be your “certain day”
The power of the Lord is present. Right now. As you read these words. This isn’t just information. This is an encounter waiting to happen.
2. It’s okay to need help
Needing help doesn’t disqualify you. It doesn’t mean you’re weak. It doesn’t mean you lack faith. It means you’re human. And God designed you to need community.
3. The door being blocked doesn’t mean you’re blocked
Maybe the normal way isn’t working. Maybe church hurt you. Maybe religious people failed you. Maybe the crowd is too thick.
That doesn’t mean Jesus isn’t available. It just means you might need friends who will tear up a roof to get you there.
4. Someone is praying for you right now
Even if you don’t know it. Even if you can’t feel it. There’s someone interceding for you. Going up in prayer so you can come down to Jesus.
A WORD TO THOSE WHO ARE CARRYING SOMEONE
Maybe you’re not the paralyzed man right now.
Maybe you’re one of the four friends.
Maybe you’re reading this because you’re carrying someone who can’t carry themselves.
Let me say this to you:
Don’t give up.
I know it’s heavy. I know they’re not getting better as fast as you hoped. I know you’re tired of praying the same prayers.
But keep carrying them.
Keep believing for them.
Keep tearing down obstacles for them.
Because your faith — your intercession — your refusal to quit — might be the very thing that gets them to their “certain day.”
Conclusion
The paralyzed man couldn’t get to Jesus by himself.
But he had friends who refused to let that stop them.
They picked him up. They carried him. They climbed on a roof. They tore through tiles. They lowered him down.
And Jesus saw their faith.
Not just his faith. Their faith.
The faith of people who wouldn’t give up. Who wouldn’t let obstacles win. Who went UP so their friend could come DOWN to the only help he truly needed.
Today, you might be the paralyzed man. You might need someone to carry you.
And that’s okay.
Ask for help. Let people love you. Let them carry you when you can’t walk.
Or today, you might be one of the four friends. Someone needs you to go up for them.
Don’t quit.
Keep praying. Keep believing. Keep carrying.
Because on a certain day — maybe today — the power of the Lord is present to heal.
And all they need is someone to help them get there.
Talk to you later
Have you ever needed help but couldn't get there yourself? In Mark 2, four friends did something radical: they tore up…a.co
Interested in exploring the depths of history, education, or religion through engaging articles? I’d love to contribute my expertise as a freelance writer.
Feel free to reach out at kingcamujumbe@gmail.com for collaborations or inquiries. Let’s create something impactful together!
