Growing up, I heard the phrase "God helps those who help themselves" so many times that I believed it was in the Bible. It was much later in life that I found out it’s not a verse at all rather, it's a common saying that many people mistaken to be a Bible verse. Phrases like "Cleanliness is next to godliness" or "Money is the root of all evil" are also mistaken to be bible verses.
So, "God helps those who help themselves". Does God really only help those who help themselves?
I know that this statement is often used to encourage hard work and personal responsibility and it makes sense to be used in that regard but it still doesn't make it a Biblical truth. I've heard stories of some persons who stay at home doing nothing, no job search, no effort, nothing at all, just prayers and they expect God to miraculously get them a job. It doesn't work that. The Bible clearly teaches the value of work. Proverbs 12:24 says, “Work hard and become a leader; be lazy and become a slave.”(NLT). Also in 2 Thessalonians 3:10, Paul stated that if anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. So yes, effort is important.
But what does the Bible say?
God's help is not limited to only those who "help themselves." The Bible tells us clearly that God helps those who cannot help themselves. He is the helper of the helpless. All through scripture, there are stories of how God stepped into the lives of the helpless. Like how He rescued the Israelites from slavery because they couldn't save themselves or how He provided for Hagar and Ishmael in the wilderness when they were sent away or how Jesus healed the sick and raised the dead because none of them could help themselves. Most importantly, Christ died for us while we were still sinners completely unable to save ourselves.
So the message of grace is not "God helps those who help themselves," but rather "God helps the helpless who call on Him." Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” And Psalm 121:2 says, “My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”
There’s a difference between being helpless and being lazy. God doesn’t encourage laziness and faith is not an excuse to be lazy or idle. James 2:17 tells us that “faith without work is dead.”
“God helps those who help themselves” may have some motivational value, but it’s not biblical truth. The truth is that God helps those who admit they need Him and call upon Him. He helps the sick, the weak, the needy, the broken and the helpless and we can trust to receive His help when we call upon Him.
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