You’ve probably heard the saying, “God helps those who help themselves.” Is it true or false?

If you picked “false,” you are right. Yet, according to 82 percent of Americans, “God helps those who help themselves,” is a Bible verse. Born-again Christians did better–by a single percent.

What Is Godly Righteousness?

In his Sermon on the Mount Jesus said to his disciples,

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. (Matthew 5:6, NIV)

Pleasing Jesus is the passion of a woman who hungers and thirsts for righteousness. Click & Tweet! She’s totally driven by it. Desiring God’s righteousness changes her priorities, her schedule, her attitude.

How would your schedule change if you were passionate about God’s righteousness? How about your priorities? Your attitude?

You are made righteousness by the presence of Christ’s life in you. You received his life the very moment you trusted in Jesus as your Savior.

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21, NASB)

God made you a brand-new person at salvation. God didn’t just improve your life. He radically transformed you. Click & Tweet!

But you may not feel righteous. You might fail to understand the gift you’ve been given and trip into legalistic self-righteousness.

I did this, and I’m not the only one.

Self-Righteous Christians

My life revolved around to-do lists, and things got done. . .but contentment eluded me.

I worked My List. Another accomplishment. Another reason to feel good. I was sucked into thinking, “God helps those who help themselves.”

Satan, the world, and my sin nature fooled me.

Allie was fooled too. She dove into activities at church, unable to say no, risking her own health because she gobbled the lie that she had to work work work to keep on pleasing God. When I saw her in the counseling office, she complained of anxiety, sleeplessness, and lack of contentment.

The Bible speaks clearly that God helps those who cannot help themselves. Here are a few examples from the Bible:

~ Jesus fed 5,000 men and probably as many women and children with two loaves of bread and a few fish.

~ Jesus healed a man who had waited by a pool for 38 years but couldn’t get to the water. “I have no one to help me,” he said to Jesus “and I can’t do it myself.” Jesus healed him on the spot.

~ Jesus sought out Zacchaeus, a cheat, and ate at his home with the dregs of the community, sharing the good news.

So what does this mean and why does it matter?

Knowing God helps the helpless means that you can rest in Jesus.

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28, NIV)

You may even discover that God helps those who cannot help themselves and turn to him for the real answers of life.

Sharing Hope with Your Heart,