Like John Wayne, Jesus needed help now and then; so do we

Recently I heard a wise man say that for many Christians we try to live somewhere between Jesus and John Wayne – meaning that we want to live for Jesus and live like the rugged individual he-man known as the Duke, John Wayne.

Now, before I go any further let me be clear … I am a big-time fan of John Wayne. I think I’ve seen all of his movies. The hero cowboy who was always able to save the day, fight for justice, with grit and determination.

Having said that I do understand what it means to live somewhere between Jesus and John Wayne. After all, I grew up learning what it means to pull myself up by my own bootstraps. If I couldn’t complete a task by myself then I probably didn’t need to be doing it. That apologizing was a sign of weakness. I was taught that there was a big difference between asking for help and receiving help.

On the other hand, I want to be a follower of Jesus! And that means I need to understand what it means to take up my cross and follow Him (Matthew 16:24). To come to him and let him help me by being yolked with him (Matthew 11:28-30). To confess my sins to him for forgiveness (1 John 1:9). If I want to follow Jesus, I need to be allied with fellow believers and we are to watch out and help one another in times of need (James 5:16). If I’m riding with King Jesus then I need to also be watching out to be helpful to others (Philippians 2:4-14).

When you think about it and watch enough John Wayne you’ll start to see that even the Duke had help in most of his movies. It could be an Indian guide, a fellow gunfighter, a grumpy old-timer, a pair of sons, a girl, a company of soldiers, a rifle, a pony, and a good ol’ dog.

If you are a faithful Bible reader you’ll see Jesus had something similar. The 12, the women, and family members.

What does that tell you? It should tell us that our Christian journey is a road we are not to be traveling alone. We have those who are ahead of us showing us where to walk. Those beside us walking in fellowship and encouragement. And then there are some who are behind us who we are also responsible for.

“Bear one another’s burdens and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.” – Galatians 6:2 We were never meant to do life alone. We need the love and care of others, as much as we are needed by others in the same ways. Next time you see someone struggling under the weight of a burden, be sure to offer your time, resources, and strength as a blessing to that person.

Blan Chrane is the Minister with the Northcrest Church of Christ You can listen to his morning devotionals “The Minister Minute” on KNES 99.1 Monday through Friday at 6 a.m.