I’ve got a savior complex. Anytime I see someone hurting or in need I want to fix it—and them—totally. You might think that’s because I’m a guy and that every guy needs to fix things. But, at the root, I’m actually convinced that my desire to fix is a noble desire. Because Christ has done such massive work in my life, and I enjoy the benefits of knowing him, I want to share those benefits with others.
When I see other people hurting, either because of their own mistakes or because of the environment in which they grew up, I want to help.
There’s a difference between being healthy, being well, and being whole. Being healthy is having a job, having food, having a warm place to live. I can help another person get healthy with money, connections, etc. But being well is something different. That’s the sense that they’re ok, that their circumstances are alright, that they’ve got some friends. I can help someone get well also. I can befriend them. I can introduce them to other people.
The problem comes with being whole. Deep down inside I cannot actually fix that sense of inadequacy, hurt, shame, loneliness. This is the thing only Jesus can fix. For people like me, who have a savior complex, who want to save everybody, who are always taking in strays, so to speak, we have to come to the humbling realization that we are not as good at saving as Jesus is. We are insufficient saviors. We might be able to help others feel healthy or well, but we will never be able to make others feel whole.
So we need to what we can for others while simultaneously realizing only Jesus can fix some of the deep down things in the human heart.