Dependence vs. Self-Effort

A good friend once told me his motto for handling challenges in life: “There is not a problem I cannot out-think or out-work!”

Sounds inspiring, don’t you think? While critical thinking and hard work are helpful tools in life, when it comes to relationship with God, self-effort actually HINDERS our ability to solve problems.

God’s Word teaches us clearly that God’s power is made perfect in weakness – when we are completely dependent on Him (2 Corinthians 12:9). Since our struggles are not against flesh and blood, it is foolish to believe that we can be victorious in our own strength. Our victories are always received – not won – from the all-powerful God upon whom we depend. Self-effort will never result in freedom.

When faced with giants in the spiritual realm, how foolish of us to take up the battle with our fly swatters and cap guns of self-effort! We MUST depend upon God if we hope to have any freedom from the enemy that binds our hearts and minds. What is amazing to me is how, when we do depend on Him, God doesn’t replace our flyswatter with a 20-pound sword. He just makes our flyswatters work!

– Troy Haas, First Steps