No Self-Sufficiency Needed
Categories: Church of Christ Bulletin ArticlesThe story is told of a self-made millionaire who once attended a banquet, sitting next to a table where some attendees were discussing the subject of prayer.
The millionaire overheard them, and boastfully declared, “Prayer may be all right for you, but I don’t need it. I’ve worked hard for everything I have and have never asked God for anything!”
One of the attendees sitting at the table was a minister. He calmly responded, “Sir, there is one thing you don’t have that you might pray for.” The millionaire retorted, “And what might that be?” The minister replied, “You could ask for a spirit of humility!”
When the Israelites were about to occupy the land of Canaan, Moses looked ahead, knowing that God would bless them with an abundance of everything they needed to sustain themselves (Deuteronomy 8:1-16).
Knowing that their prosperity could easily lead to a feeling of self-sufficiency, he warned them that no one should ever boast by saying, “My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth” (Deuteronomy 8:17).
As human beings, we are all prone to a certain amount of pride. If everything goes well, we feel self-sufficient. When a blessing comes our way, we may think that we’ve received it because we deserve it.
Folks, that’s foolish pride, and it’s definitely out of place in the life of the Lord‘s followers (cf. Isaiah 28:1-4; Jeremiah 13:8-14; Ezekiel 16:44-59; Revelation 3:14-18). There’s no self-sufficiency needed in God’s kingdom.
Brethren and friends, if it were not for the Lord giving us the power and ability to gain wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18; Proverbs 10:22; Hosea 2:6-8), we wouldn’t have anything (John 15:5; Acts 17:22-28)
Therefore, let us give the Giver of every good and perfect gift (James 1:17) His just due, by thanking Him daily (1 Thessalonians 5:18), and praising Him for His generosity (Psalm 34:1; Ephesians 5:18-20; Hebrews 13:15).