Understanding The Ministry (Spiritual Gift) of Helps: God Is The Source
The universal body of Christ is made up of believers all over the world. Like the physical human body, God designed it to maintain its health by working within itself through an intricate balance of intertwined systems. In the body of Christ, these systems are ministries placed within the body in the form of spiritual gifts. Each person within the body of Christ is given one of these gifts by the Holy Spirit so that believers can help one another (1 Cor. 12:7).
Each gift is vital to the health of the body, however not each gift is highlighted or esteemed in the same manner. As Paul explained, “some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary” (1 Cor. 12:22). In the body of Christ, the ministry (spiritual gift) of helps fits into this category. The ministry of helps is often misunderstood as work leaders are too important to do, therefore it is rarely appreciated (Gal. 6:3). But without help, no one would be able to effectively complete their mission. This is by God’s design, as it is not good for man to be alone (Gen. 2:18) and He is glorified in unity (i.e. His Creation working together as designed). Nothing great is ever accomplished without the help of others.
The ministry of helps is seen throughout the Bible texts. The Holy Spirit graced the body of Christ (the universal church) with this gift as an extension of Herself and the Father. Just as the Heavenly Father and Divine Mother parent in many ways, the spiritual gift of helps ministers in many ways. These helps have been given to aid the entire body of believers in order to fulfill the will of God.
God As Helper
To understand the ministry of helps, one must understand that God is the source of help. The central narrative of the Holy Bible is about God’s love and help for mankind, starting with His care and provision for Adam in the garden of Eden and continuing with Abraham, the Israelites, and the Church. His help is given in many ways, and He uses all of Creation to accomplish His will, including His Son, the Holy Spirit, angels, and human beings.
God’s help for mankind is first seen in the creation of woman. When God saw that it was not good for Adam to be alone He made a helper for him—a wife. In this way. After He gave them the command to be fruitful and multiply, He gave the woman the help she needed to carry and deliver children (Gen. 4:1). When the human race needed renewal, He gave Noah instructions on how to build the ark (Gen. 6:14-16). After He chose Abraham to be the father of faith (Gen. 18:19; Rom. 4:16), He gave him help to succeed (Gen. 21:22). This help continued with Jacob (Gen. 49:23) and Joseph (Gen. 50:24-25). When the Israelites needed help, He sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam (Micah 6:4). God helped Moses lead (Exod. 18:4), and so did angels (Exod. 14:19; 23:20; Gal. 3:19), who are at God’s command. He also helped the Israelites enter the Promised Land (Deut. 11:29; Neh. 9:22).
Throughout history, God has helped those who put their trust in Him and cry out to Him in their times of trouble. He did it for Israel (Exod. 2:23; Judg. 3:9, 15; 4:3; 6:6; 10:10), David (2 Sam. 22:7), and Judah (2 Chron. 13:14; 2 Chron. 20), and He does it for us today, too. He aided all of mankind by sending Jesus to be the atoning sacrifice for sin (John 17:3; Rom. 3:25; Heb. 2:17). When His earthly mission was completed, the Father sent the Holy Spirit to fill us with His love (Rom. 5:5) and aid us in times of weakness (Rom. 8:26). The Spirit and the Son advocate for believers (John 14:16, 26; 15:26: 16:17; Gal. 6:13; 1 John 2:1), just as the Father advocated for the righteous before the new covenant (1 Sam. 24:15; Job 16:19).
In conclusion, the ministry of helps is an extension of the Father’s ministry to us. He is the source of our help. The Holy Spirit lives in believers (Rom. 8:11) and gifts us with abilities to help the universal body. Every spiritual gift is a gift of help, including prophecy, shepherding, teaching, miracles, and healing, because they help the body.