Do you look to yourself when dealing with problems? Relying on ourselves alone means placing our trust in our own opinions instead of in God’s wisdom. Could self-reliance be hurting you?
“Those who trust in themselves are fools, but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe.” (Proverbs 28:26)
When something goes wrong, I immediately move into crisis mode. I figure out how to fix the problem, mitigate the results, and jump in as soon as possible.
This might sound like I’m bragging, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. In actuality, my quick response is only considered a plus by those who believe that faster is better and self-reliance is a virtue. Which is most of us.
But God asks us to stop and not miss the obvious flaw in this system. Where in those steps did I stop to ask for advice? When did I lean on wisdom instead of opinion?
The answer is that I didn’t.
Do we trust ourselves over God?
God created us with brains that were intended for decision-making, learning, and understanding. But He doesn’t expect us to do all of that without including Him.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). When we make decisions based on our own understanding, we trust that we know best. But do we really? Or are we giving ourselves too much credit?
When we fail to consult God in times of crisis, we lose out on the best wisdom available. When we fail to trust God with even our smallest problems, we miss out on a deepening relationship with our Creator. We also forgo the chance to be led along our life path by a wise guide.
Our decisions are often based on our own opinions about how something should be done. We think that because we need to respond fast, we don’t have time to pray. But that’s not true.
There is always time to check in with God, to open our Bibles, to seek out wisdom for our problems and then respond. Because when we trust God more than ourselves, we make decisions that are couched in wisdom, instead of foolishness.
As you start your week, look for places where you would normally jump in with a solution. Take a step back and ask God what He thinks you should do or say. Then watch the difference His wisdom makes.
Have a blessed Monday!
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Very true, Rebecca! And I’m like you in that I want to immediately jump in and fix something, doing it ultimately in my own strength or with my limited wisdom. Thank you for this reminder! I’ll be pinning this for sure!
Thank you, Beth! I appreciate that. God bless!