“Well, I was only trying to help you!” imagine a little girl who always wore her shoelaces loose, and each time you saw her, you would help tighten the shoelaces. Whenever you tied those laces though, the kid cried and cried.  Now when the kid sees you, she hides because her shoelaces are loose again, and she knows too well that you will attempt to tie them, so she hides. You notice that she is trying to avoid you and you say to the kid, “well, I was only trying to help you!” then you go ahead to tell as many people as possible that the kid is a bad kid.

The little kid is relieved that you finally stopped trying to tie her shoelaces so hard because what you did not know is that the kid has a condition that makes her feet swell and painful if she wears anything tight. Yes, she walks funny but not because her laces are loose, she walks funny because of the condition. Another thing you did not know is that she has fought this disease and is winning. To you she walks funny, but she is a victor, one that has walked out of darkness into the light of day! Now, thanks to you, your ego and recent outbursts, those who would have been of any real help to her have been cut off. Yet, the kid is happy and trusting the God who has brought her this far to take her through.

Reminiscing on Proverbs 16:28 which says, “A perverse man spreads strife,

And a slanderer separates intimate friends” I wonder how many times we have spreads strife swearing in front of people to make them believe our innocence and authenticity only to be regarded as slanderers before God, slanderers who separating intimate friends.

What fig leaves do you have on today? The fig leaves of your position? Your age? Your connections?  Your followership advantages? Your skills? You see, getting off our high horses is not always a bad thing. Sometimes, we need to stoop low to see well in order to offer correctly help. If Jesus, the One who is our Example could stoop low in order to raise one up, who are we? 

Take off the fig leaves today and simply learn to relate. Sometimes, we do things for people to prove a point while God would want us to do things for each other because we learn to truly care, understand and support each other. We must be intentional to see build each other up. when you have been in a relationship with someone for a while, and you genuinely care for them, they will know, they will grow, and you will grow!

Stoop to lift up!