The platitude, “God helps those who help themselves” has little with God and a lot to do with us. God does help us when we ask him and we do achieve things by putting in effort but effort does not lead to God’s help. Instead, the bible says, “God helps those who seek first his kingdom and his righteousness”. Jesus said:
“So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:31-33)
Those that, “help themselves” alone receive the benefit. There is little place for faith in this idea. It is all about a person’s motivation and their ability to get at what they want.
Those who, ”seek first his kingdom” impact the whole world and are transformed by God in the process. This idea relies on faith. It is about trusting God to look after our needs as we submit ourselves to his rule and as we care for the needs of others.
It is up to you to decide which way you want to live.
If you choose to, “help yourself”, it’s quite likely that you eventually obtain that which you seek. It’s also likely in my experience that this will not satisfy you. A life lived in this way is an empty and limited life.
If you choose instead to, ”seek first his kingdom” you will occasionally suffer greatly, always be one step from utter ruin and keenly feel the pain of others. A life lived in this way is fulfilling and expansive and joyful. Somehow, all your needs will be met even when circumstances should make this impossible. You will enrich the lives of others and when you look back on your life you will have no regrets.
The bible gives us many examples of people choosing to, “seek first his kingdom”. The events that occurred in the lives of these people we would not wish to experience ourselves, but we would the blessings that result from their life-long faithfulness.
Consider Abram, the father of the nation Israel, who learned that his nephew Lot had been taken captive along with the people and their possessions from Sodom when the city was sacked by neighbouring kingdoms (Genesis 14). He formed an army, won a battle and took back his nephew, the people and all of the possessions. The grateful king of Sodom offered Abram all of the goods in payment but Abram turned down the offer choosing instead to honour an oath he had made to God. Offered wealth for his efforts he chooses instead to give the honour to God. He could have helped himself but instead he sort first the kingdom. This is a pattern in Abram’s life which was a blessed and abundant life.
Consider the young larrikin Jonathan, the son of King Saul, and his armour-barer who in faith risked it all to alone defeat the Philistine army; “Jonathan said to his young armour-bearer, ‘Come, let's go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised fellows. Perhaps the LORD will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few.’ “ (1 Samuel 14:6). Jonathan chose faith even though his life would be forfeit should God choose not to act. Should he have chosen to “help himself” he would have stayed with his father’s army but instead he put his life in God’s hands and sort God’s glory for his nation. Jonathan became David’s protector and David became the next King of Israel.
David chose to, “seek first his [God’s] kingdom” too. While on the run from murderous King Saul, David was egged on by his men to take Saul’s life as he relieved himself in a cave in which they were hiding. Instead, David chooses to trust God at risk of his life and refused to raise a hand against, “God’s anointed” (1 Samuel 24). When given a choice of taking matters into his own hand, he chooses instead to trust God with his life. In time, Saul dies at the hand of enemies and David becomes the kingdom of Israel ushering in a new time of God’s favour and great personal blessing for David.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were Jewish exiles in Babylon chosen by the great military commander King Nebuchadnezzar to serve as administrators. In peril of their life and the lives of their families, they refused to bow down and worship a ninety foot golden statue saying instead, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” (Daniel 3). When the super-heated furnace did not harm them, King Nebuchadnezzar worshiped God and gave them a promotion. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego chose, in faith, to honour and obey God when the option of helping themselves by simply bowing down to a statue was the less risky option. In turn, God miraculously protected them and then blessed them bringing Glory to his own name throughout Babylon.
There are many other similar stories recorded in the bible. There are also many warnings of what should happen if we choose to live simply to “help ourselves”. As in this parable told by Jesus:
And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I'll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.’ But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God." (Luke 12:16-21)
So I say it is much better to take the risk and choose faith over “helping yourself”. If you do this your life will cease to be limited by your decisions and you will be released into God’s greater plan. You will move from predictable to unpredictable; life will be once again full of surprises. And you will enrich the lives of those you come in contact with. Best of all you will have a destiny in Christ starting now and leading into eternity.
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