God Helps Those

[Pinklmnade17]

So I have been hearing a lot lately in the news and from my non-Catholic Christian coworkers that “God helps those who help themselves”

And I’m having difficulty understanding it in light of how we view God. This adage is usually given in advice to financial difficulties, job market, economy, etc. But from how I read Sacred Scripture, our God has always worked wonders with the weak… and praises meekness, humility, etc. I don’t remember the beatitudes lauding going out and doing for yourself, else God won’t help you.

Specifically, I’m thinking about 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, when Paul was speaking of the thorn in his flesh:

Three times I begged the Lord about this, that it might leave me, but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me. Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

Let me say that I’m not advocating everyone to stay at home, laze around, do nothing and say “God will provide,” but rather, this view seems to me to smack of greed, avarice and a “well God won’t do it so I need to do it myself” attitude. Am I being too sensitive? Or have I missed something in Scripture that says otherwise?

 

[Leopard]

…have I missed something in Scripture…?

“God helps those who help themselves” is not in the Bible. It’s one of those common popular sayings like “God fights on the side with the best artillery.”

 

[TAS2000]

Perhaps it is meant more in the vien of the old joke of the guy stuck on the roof of his house in the flood. First a row boat with people comes along to resuce him and he refuses, saying God will save him. Then a coast gurad ship comes along, then finally a helicopter. He refuses every time, and drowns. Then he gets to heaven he says God why didn’t you save me, and God says I tried three times, but you gotta work with me!

As the earlier poster say, this isn’t an official church teaching, just a saying, but perhaps it is a way of advocating that people NOT sit around on their butts and wait for God to do it all for them.

 

[tierney]

I have A LOT of trouble with that saying also! I am unemployed right now due to my place of employment closing. Financially, it’s not a big thing so I am kind of hoping an opportunity comes up to do something I enjoy and feel that I am using my talents that God gave me. In other words, I am not even reading the classifieds!!! But it’s been 3 months and I am feeling like maybe I am supposed to do more.
That is just one area of my life where I seem to be waiting on God to lead me. But as time goes by, I am not feeling led anywhere!
I do think that we do what we can do, and then God does what we can’t. But that is so against the way most of us are raised to believe we make progress in life.

 

[Biggie]

God’s help comes in many forms, sometimes in the form of the crisis that moves me to take actions I would not take otherwise. … A ship is safe in the harbor, but ships weren’t made for that … and we weren’t made to sit on the couch and wait for God to do something. I think St. Paul’s personal example of working his way through his ministry at menial tasks and the note he struck as to the need to work even though the Parousia was thought imminent are an indication of how he thought we should behave.

My personal approach is that I am responsible for the effort and God is responsible for the outcome.

 

[Oscarthecat]

I think that message is completely consistent with salvation history- God DOES help those who help themselves, even when helping onesself is just the simple expression of faith.

-Throughout the Gospels, Jesus helped those who sought Him out, expressed faith in Him, and sought Him out.

-God saved Noah from the flood, but Noah had to build the Ark.

-God brought His people out of captivity, but they had to walk on their own and carry their own things.

God always does the heavy lifting, but we are expected to participate in His Grace to the extent we are able.

I think that it is perfectly reasonable that we, in the spirit of Christian Charity, recognize that the effort to make positive changes one’s own life is a measure of the sincerity of their need.

At the same time, however, I agree that that platitude is too often used as an excuse to justify one’s own lack of charity toward those in need.

 

[Ruthie]

Tierney, I’m using what you said as an example. Please don’t take it personally!

Financially, it’s not a big thing so I am kind of hoping an opportunity comes up to do something I enjoy and feel that I am using my talents that God gave me. In other words, I am not even reading the classifieds!!! … I seem to be waiting on God to lead me. But as time goes by, I am not feeling led anywhere!

This is where the old saying applies. Someone with the perfect job opening will not be ringing the doorbell. One has to help God by bringing oneself to the attention of those with the power to hire.

Since there are many ways of doing this without reading the classifieds, I am not assuming that you, Tierney, are sitting on the couch, moaning, “God will provide.” Not to mention that, since you don’t need a job, you might be leaving the job-hunting to those who do. And these days, reading the classifieds can be depressing. The jobs section in my local paper has shrunk by more than 3/4! I thank God that I don’t need one, either.

“The Lord is my shepherd…”

God bless,

Ruthie