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I have always loved relying on my self. It feels good and powerful to plan my day and make it happen with my own efforts. On days when life goes like that, I can convince myself that it was because of MY planning, efforts and perseverance that everything turned out.

I’m not against planning, making an effort and persevering. These are valuable. When we think of our kids, we do want to teach them to be somewhat self-reliant. We train them so they will hopefully grow into fully mature God fearing young adults.

Yet the problem arises when we conclude that WE are sufficient to deal with everything in life. For every day that goes exactly according to my plans, two or three do not. Right now is a great example. This week, I planned to be in Wisconsin at an annual retreat with fellow pastors. It fills me up and I learn a whole bunch of new stuff. But along came COVID-19. Retreat cancelled. I did not plan that. Here I am and we are with uncertainty about how the next months and year will unfold.

This all reveals the paradox of the Christian life. We live in a world where maturing means to become LESS dependent on those who raised you. In the Christian walk, maturity means to become MORE dependent on God.

This reveals a hidden blessing of trials or trouble. Life without trials or afflictions greatly lessens any need for God. He would be like a teddy bear who may cause us to smile or feel warm inside. Yet we wouldn’t really NEED Him. But living in a fallen world includes life threatening diagnoses, job losses, complex relationship difficulties, rebellious teenagers and facing our own mortality. Such trials expose our need for God more clearly.

The apostle Paul, and his ministry team went through a terrible time of affliction. We don’t know exactly what happened. He describes how they felt. “We were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself." (2 Corinthians 1:8) This time overwhelmed their self-reliance. This led to despair. This happens when we rely only our selves. We think we can handle everything. Then some overwhelming trouble comes along. We don’t know what to do of where do gain strength. So we despair over the limitations of ourselves.

But look at what Paul learned. “indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead." (2 Corinthians 1:9) At the end of their self-reliance and despair, they turned to rely on God. They found Him sufficient. “He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again." (2 Corinthians 1:10)

So the journey from self-reliance to God-reliance goes like this:

  1. Self-reliance
  2. Affliction/problem that overwhelms our self-reliance
  3. Despair over our inability to solve the situation
  4. Turn to God and rely on Him
  5. Hope

I have to travel this path repeatedly. If you’re in stage 1, 2 or 3 today, I pray you will move to stage 4 as soon as you read this.

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