Helping Ourselves

My Dad was fond of saying, ‘God helps those who help themselves.’ He meant to spur us onto success, I am sure. He quoted it so often that I thought it might actually be in the Bible. When I became a Christian, I learned that it was not. Some think it stems from Aesop. It’s more likely a favourite of pickpockets and thieves.

Is it true at all? In some ways, no and in others yes, it is. We can beg God to help us lose twenty pounds, but he expects us to put down our fork and push away from the table.

We can’t do anything to earn our salvation but once we are saved, it’s a whole other matter. Take 2 Thessalonions 3:10, for instance.

For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.”

Many a verse in the Bible sounds wonderful until we read the part that we are supposed to do.

God does wonderful things for us, but we can’t just sit around in our easy chair waiting for miracles to happen. When God asks us to do our part, we must obey. You can read more on this topic here.

Prayer – Lord, give us the gumption to get up and move in your direction. Amen

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