(From our church-wide devotion book at Pinedale Christian Church, "You 2.0”)

My first real job was as a waitress at G.C. Murphy department store, in their restaurant. After one day of training, I felt pretty confident. However, on day two, the cook didn’t show up, and the store manager put me in charge of the entire restaurant! Since I was the only one there and eager to please, I jumped in. The only problem was I had no idea how to prepare the food. My solution? Look at pictures on the menu and guess. It was a disaster because I needed help.
We often go through life trying to figure it out on our own, forgetting, wherever we are in life, God is there. The problem is we often ignore that truth. It’s as if we picture God creating us, forgiving us, then hitting autopilot. He’s not a part-time spectator in our lives.
Romans 15:13 says, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peaceas you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
This verse reminds us that God gave us the Holy Spirit with the power to carry us from our first to our final day. We forget this truth and are tempted to rely on ourselves to be self-reliant.
THERE ARE SOME REAL DANGERS TRYING TO GO IT ALONE
PRIDE. When we rely on ourselves, we take the credit and place our trust in us.
PASSIVE. When life is rolling along with no bumps, we get passive in our devotion to God.
PANIC. When the unexpected happens, we suddenly realize we DON’T have it all together.
Why is it so hard to ask for help when God clearly says He has all the power we could possibly need to handle anything in life?
PERHAPS WE’RE AFRAID;
• That we’ll look weak and not smart. • That we’ll ask for help, and God might say no.
• That we might interrupt God while He’s handling someone else’s bigger problem.
• That we just believe we can handle it on our own.
We spend a lot of time trying to persuade others that we are completely able to handle things. In Mark the 9th chapter, the disciples could not remove a demon from a young man, and his father was desperate. He went to Jesus. The problem wasn’t the demon, it was the disciples. Jesus said, “This can’t be done without prayer.”
Prayer is talking with God about your circumstances and asking for help. The father in this story admitted to Jesus that his strength was weak and said, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” Following this desperate dad’s example, admitting we are weak and struggling, is exactly when God’s power is released to come to our rescue!
HOWEVER, WHEN WE HAVE A PRAYERLESS LIFE, WE DETHRONE GOD AND PUT OUR TRUST IN OUR OWN ABILITY.
When you surrendered to Jesus, the Holy Spirit landed in your heart. From that moment on, no tasks were assigned to you to handle. We often believe itwas God’s job to save us and ours to be obedient, so we try to pick up where God left off. But God never leaves off.
No matter what you’re going to face, you won’t face it alone. God is in you, and He is for you.
Philippians 2:13 says, “God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” (NLT) The word “working” in Greek is the word energos, or “energy.” God is the energy driver, not your willpower.
God is also for you. Romans 8:31 says, “If God is for us, no one can defeatus.” (NCV) What Jesus called us to do is humanly impossible. We are in way over our heads. Depending on our own strength, our own intelligence, or our own abilities, is like walking blindfolded down an unfamiliar busy road, when your Father is offering a ride in His car.
Galatians 3:3 asks a question that may be a perfect one for us today. “Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?” (NIV)
The evidence is clear, we need help. Instead of self-reliance, let’s choose to be God-dependent.
(From our church-wide devotion book at Pinedale Christian Church, "You 2.0”)