God helps those that help themselves..

 God Helps Those That Help Themselves,
and other prideful lies of the self-sufficient

The question from Linkedin was "Does the Bible teach that Christians should pull themselves up by their own bootstraps?" the short answer is no. As a matter of fact, the passage is not even in the Bible. Actually, Algeron Sidney an English politician and member of the middle part of the Long Parliament wrote in his book "Discourses Concerning the Government" in 1680 these famous words "God help those that help themselves" but the actual question was "Does the Bible teach "God helps those that help themselves?" let us address this question.
Here we must address not our opinion but what does the Bible say?  The only way we can be sure of what the Bible says is to go to the Bible  Psalm 127:1-2  teaches “Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman wakes but in vain.  It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he gives his beloved sleep.”

Leviticus 26:19-20 “and I will break the pride of your power, and I will make your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze. And your strength shall be spent in vain, for your land shall not yield its increase, and the trees of the land shall not yield their fruit.”

Here we see the futility of trying to accomplish anything without God. Pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps, is being zealous for our will not God’s  it may appear to be the will of God but hidden in self-sufficiency is pride and self-worship.

Consider the disciple Peter, who was more zealous for Christ them he? In Matthews 26:33 he proclaims “Even if everyone else deserts You, I will never desert You.” When Jesus tells him of his denial Peter insisted “No!”. “Even if I have to die with You, I will never deny You!”

Peter thought that he could stand by Jesus in his own strength, however, as we all know this was not true. From this, we can that zealot doing even for God, or what we think is God’s will is our own self-sufficiency and pride and they always lead to denying Christ. Whenever we say “I can do it” we are saying “I don’t need Christ”

But John 15:5   Jesus tells us we can do nothing without him. Some people think this means only spiritual things, but when we consider God who sustains us, we see that everything we do, even the very breath we take is because of Him 2Cor 3:5 tells us that our sufficiency ( even our self- sufficiency) is from God.  Paul reminds us we should glory in our infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2Cor 12:9)

Nowhere is the Bible does it ever say “God helps those that help themselves” yet this lie has been perpetuated in the church as the truth. When you combine this lie with the world, that teaches we must become self-sufficient, is there any wonder we have missed the mark for what God's will is for the Christian? Please brothers and sisters don't be fooled by the world The devil want you to help yourself that is a state of pride, however,  God’s desire is that we lean on him in every part of your life.

Let us pray;

Dear Heavenly Father,

Please forgive me if I have ever though that I could do something apart from you, if I have put on the façade of self-sufficiency, pride, egoism it has only been to make myself appear some way to men. I know that these thoughts are a result of my lack of trust in you, and the lie that I can do something apart from you.

My God, please help my lack of trust, my unbelief, teach me how to live totally dependent on You. Not on my abilities, or another man’s promises, but on You alone.

Father, I know it is only you that have the ability to do those things which need to be done in my life. But if these things that I hope for never get done on this side of Your glory, teach me to understand that Your Grace is sufficient in my life.

In Jesus’ Name I pray Amen.

T.Charves FireSpeaks