Uh oh. Dusting off the Patriarchs Bible Study found me some new quotes. Believe me, I don’t enjoy typing out this one. I get it too well.

Genesis 16 (When Sarai gives Hagar to Abram so they can “help” God give them the Child of the Promise):

“We might entitle this portion of Scripture “The Trouble with Helping God.” And believe me, it always leads to trouble. Satan capitalizes on this portion of our femininity. God has wired us in wonderful ways. By nature we tend to be nurturers, straighteners, fixers. To want to help is part of our original wiring. Most men don’t have an affinity for hearing other people’s problelms, but women often thrive on it. Why? Partly because we enjoy telling people what to do with their lives. It’s in our wiring. Clearly Sarai got her wires crossed.

Satan prides himself on tangling our wiring until the outcome is a knotted counterfeit. Help tangles into manipulation with the slightest rerouting. Recently I was preparing for a Sunday school lesson when a related sentence came into my mind that seemed to come from the Holy Spirit:

“Anything you have to manipulate to get is rarely yours to keep.”

I sat before God recalling instances in my life which support such a statement. Sometimes I knew I was being manipulative. Other times I sincerely convinced myself I was just trying to help and wanted what was best for everybody. (I know this is shocking to all of you who are like me, but wanting what is best is not always synonymous with knowing what is best.)

I can remember trying to manipulate certain relationships and interests for my husband, my children, or myself. Although such manipulations sometimes got off to a promising start, they never “kept.”

Oh my, my, my. Deal with me God.