Do you know people who are really needy and dependent? You know the type: they’re always getting into trouble and they expect other people to bail them out time after time. I certainly know a bunch of folks who are like that. What these irresponsible slackers really need is for someone to remind them of that famous Bible verse: “God helps those who help themselves.”
Oh wait. You know something? That saying is not in the Bible at all. And it doesn’t fit in with the Gospel message either. The main message of the Bible is this: God helps those who CAN’T help themselves.
Oh wait. You know something? That saying is not in the Bible at all. And it doesn’t fit in with the Gospel message either. The main message of the Bible is this: God helps those who CAN’T help themselves.
Please don’t forget the overarching theme of salvation history, as chronicled in the Bible: God created Mankind to be in a loving relationship with Him, but we messed up big-time. We chose to go our own way, ignoring God’s love and instead sought fulfillment on our own. This decision led to a boatload of pain and heartache — which is the inevitable result of being separated from our divine Creator.
So, even though we deserve our sad fate because of selfish and foolish thoughts, words, and deeds, God loves us so much He did not want to see us lost for all eternity. That’s where the glorious Gospel message begins. The Almighty and Eternal Creator of the Universe sent a piece of Himself — His one and only Son — to take on human flesh. This stunning event provided a way for us to be reconciled with the Lord.
The entire history of the Old Testament tells the remarkable story of God’s Chosen People, the Jews, and their sincere attempts to be righteous and to follow the Law of God. But no matter how hard they tried to do the right thing and measure up to God’s high standard, they always fell short. (And just in case you aren’t sure: if any other group of people in world history were chosen by God instead of the Jews, they would’ve fallen short, too.)
Human beings are not capable of being morally perfect in this fallen world. We cannot earn our way into Heaven. That Old Testament lesson — learned at the School of Hard Knocks — set the stage for the Messiah, the One who could save us with forgiveness and mercy rather than legalism and our own meager efforts.
When you look at the big picture of salvation history, the undeniable message is this: God helps those who CAN’T help themselves. This is the exact opposite of that familiar saying so many people think comes from the Bible.
So, even though we deserve our sad fate because of selfish and foolish thoughts, words, and deeds, God loves us so much He did not want to see us lost for all eternity. That’s where the glorious Gospel message begins. The Almighty and Eternal Creator of the Universe sent a piece of Himself — His one and only Son — to take on human flesh. This stunning event provided a way for us to be reconciled with the Lord.
The entire history of the Old Testament tells the remarkable story of God’s Chosen People, the Jews, and their sincere attempts to be righteous and to follow the Law of God. But no matter how hard they tried to do the right thing and measure up to God’s high standard, they always fell short. (And just in case you aren’t sure: if any other group of people in world history were chosen by God instead of the Jews, they would’ve fallen short, too.)
Human beings are not capable of being morally perfect in this fallen world. We cannot earn our way into Heaven. That Old Testament lesson — learned at the School of Hard Knocks — set the stage for the Messiah, the One who could save us with forgiveness and mercy rather than legalism and our own meager efforts.
When you look at the big picture of salvation history, the undeniable message is this: God helps those who CAN’T help themselves. This is the exact opposite of that familiar saying so many people think comes from the Bible.
Now, this is not to say that all we need to do is sit back passively while God pays all our bills and refills our snack bowls as we gaze at TV all day. We have to cooperate with God and do our share, using the skills and talents He gave us.
It’s obviously better for people to be more self-reliant, if they are able. It certainly boosts folks’ self-esteem to take responsibility for various aspects of their lives rather than be dependent on someone else for everything. But an awful lot of people nowadays are hurting, both physically and emotionally. Some people simply are not able to be self-reliant at this time for a multitude of reasons.
Our job as Christians is not to harshly tell people to “Get a job!” or “Pull yourself up by your bootstraps,” or that old favorite, “God helps those who help themselves.” Those comments don’t do anything except make them feel worse than they already do.
If someone is capable of being more self-reliant, our duty as believers in Christ is to lovingly encourage them and mentor them to reach their full potential. All during this process we should never lose sight of the fact that God helped us when we couldn’t help ourselves, so who are we to suddenly turn into a cold-hearted drill sergeant?
It’s obviously better for people to be more self-reliant, if they are able. It certainly boosts folks’ self-esteem to take responsibility for various aspects of their lives rather than be dependent on someone else for everything. But an awful lot of people nowadays are hurting, both physically and emotionally. Some people simply are not able to be self-reliant at this time for a multitude of reasons.
Our job as Christians is not to harshly tell people to “Get a job!” or “Pull yourself up by your bootstraps,” or that old favorite, “God helps those who help themselves.” Those comments don’t do anything except make them feel worse than they already do.
If someone is capable of being more self-reliant, our duty as believers in Christ is to lovingly encourage them and mentor them to reach their full potential. All during this process we should never lose sight of the fact that God helped us when we couldn’t help ourselves, so who are we to suddenly turn into a cold-hearted drill sergeant?
The message that God helps those who CAN’T help themselves — rather than the well-known statement that is NOT from the Bible — is the key. God showed us abundant love and mercy and patience back when we were struggling. Now it’s what He wants us to show towards others who are presently having a hard time.
God helps those who help themselves is just a saying....nobody thinks it's from the bible...Why would you think that?
ReplyDeleteRuth O'Keefe