many of us live our lives through our own power, its not that we are trying to show off to anyone, it’s not that we think we’re great. it’s just a matter of pride. we try on our own, through our own power, to get through life. we do not ask for God to guide us, we do not seek His will. and when we hit a wall of frustration, we try to power through by our own stubborn persistence.

this is not God’s desire for us…there is no verse in the Bible that says ‘God helps those who help themselves.’ we don’t have to prove anything to Him before He will help us. this isn’t about works. this isn’t about some sliding scale of success that we must master.

we need to give up.

throw in the towel.

just quit…right now.

2 thessalonians 3:3 tells us that the LORD is faithful and He will strengthen & protect us from the evil one. He is faithful…that means that He is at work, not sitting back and waiting. He will strengthen and protect us. we do not have to get by on what we can do on our own. how much pride do we have to have in ourselves to presume that we can do everything on our own? what ego-maniacal behaviors are necessary in our lives for us to think we need no help? God is to be our strength. we are proving nothing to anyone else by living life by our own strength, and we are drawing from a shallow well when we do…

Ephesians 3:17-19 says, i pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide & high & deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love which surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

if we take our position with God, if we are rooted in Him, we will find a fulfillment that would other wise be impossible. in Christ alone, we find a love to sustain us. in His working in us and through us, we can tap into a power (not for our personal gain or for our own fame or glory) that will help us through anything…literally anything.

but we have to give up on ourselves, on our own power, first. there is nothing we can do on our own. we do not need to do anything on our own first. God isn’t waiting for us to reach some invisible line of effort, He isn’t weighing us out first…and when we have spent enough time, or cried enough tears or bled enough to get His attention, that at some point unknown to us, He will begin to work.

He is ready to work in us today, right now, where we are. but we have to get out of the way first, giving up control to Him, and realizing that we have no power for ourselves.

Isaiah 41:10 says, do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

don’t worry about giving up control. don’t be concerned about what you think you can or cannot do. do not operate under the pretense that you must do all these things on your own every day. God is here. He is ready to work with you and in you and through you right now. but you have to quit first.

so just give up.

let Him run things. trust Him, and see what He can do.

i guarantee you won’t be disappointed if you completely hand the reins over to Him.

what do you have to lose?