Does God Help Those Who Help Themselves?
Is it true that God helps those who help themselves? In times of troubles, are we to fix it ourselves or to acknowledge our own brokenness and need for rescue? Learn how you rely on God to help you in difficult times.
Scripture: Matthew 14:22-32
The Real Source
God helps those who help themselves. Does that sound familiar? It should. Because whether you say it or not, more than likely, it's really how you and I most frequently live our days. I'm going to move ahead with whatever is before me, and if my efforts aren't quite good enough, then and only then will I call out to God to fix my mess. That's the mindset at the heart of our phrase today.
Yet, its real sources are not in Scripture but found in political science and philosophy. It was a thought first developed in ancient Greece passed down to the Enlightenment. As far as we know, it was first written down by English politician Algernon Sydney in the 1600s. Finally, it was made famous by our very own Benjamin Franklin. [source]
Not only is it not found in Scripture, where it's not a reach at all to say, the whole scope of God's word from the opening pages of Genesis to the final words of Revelation tells us that it's not true. So to say that God helps those who help themselves is not who God is, and it is certainly not the reason or the way he enters our lives.
To frame the fallacy of the cliche and to frame our constant need for Christ, we're going to look at the disciples' story in the boat during the storm. It's familiar, but don't let that hold you back.
The Backstory to Our Scripture
It had been a very long day for Jesus. We read earlier in the chapter that the day began for Jesus by receiving the news that His beloved cousin, colleague, and partner in bringing forth the kingdom of God, John the Baptist, had been brutally murdered by King Herod. So, understandably, Jesus left to get away from the disciples and the crowds in a boat to find a place of solitude.
But He could not escape as the crowds followed Him along the shoreline. When He saw the crowd, Jesus stepped out of the boat to meet the people, and what did he do? Matthew tells us that Jesus showed compassion for them, and He healed the sick.
As the day goes on, the disciples tell Jesus that the crowd is huge and needs to be fed. So what does Jesus do? You know the story; He feeds 1000s of men, women, and children with five loaves of bread and two fish. It's been a long day for Jesus.
Following these events, He sends the disciples back in the boat and goes into the hills by Himself to pray. Finally, He's alone. But the day is not over yet. This is where our Scripture begins.
Reaching For Jesus When We’re Sinking
"Immediately, Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.Shortly before dawn, Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. 'It's a ghost,' they said and cried out in fear." (Matthew 14:22-26)
Friends, let me ask you: Have we been fighting heavy waves? For what feels like a very long time, yes, we have. We have indeed. One wave after another has come our way. I don't know about you, but it feels like another year of living has been lost due to the pandemic.
While the world has experienced the pandemic, the impact has been very personal, and profound for many of us. We have tried as hard as we could to ride this daunting pandemic wave. And then, right behind it, we tried to skim above the high-rise waves of culture, unrest, and political differences. We've been splashed hard in the face with masks or no masks, vaccine or no vaccine. There is absolutely no doubt that this has been more than you and I can handle.
Where was Jesus when the disciples were fighting the waves?
Hasn't that been our question of faith during these months? Jesus, where have you been? Jesus, have you stepped aside and settled in for a well-deserved rest? We have been trying to fix and help ourselves by fighting everything coming at us.
"But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." (Matthew 14:27)
Take courage. Really? Where was He? He was there with the disciples then, and He's been right here with His disciples, those He loves deeply right now.
"Peter called to Him: 'Lord if it's really you, tell me to come to you walking on water.'" (Matthew 14:28)
It's hard to know from the words written on the page what Peter's tone and intention were. Was he daring Jesus? Or was he wanting to be with Him, no matter the risk? Jesus tells him to come. Friends, that's what Jesus is always saying to us. Be with me, especially when the waves are unrelenting when you can't make better anything around you or in you. "Come, I am here."
At this calling, Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on water towards Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. "Save me, Lord," he shouted.
I wonder if you share my curiosity about what the other disciples were saying or probably screaming at that moment. "Don't, Peter!" "Don't get out of the boat!" "You'll sink."
There certainly have been a lot of voices coming at us, even shouting at us, telling us what we can do to fix where we are. But, how often have you heard it said, "Well if Peter had just kept his eyes on Jesus, he would not have landed in the raging waters."
Friends, let me tell you, that is not the point of the story. Not the point at all.
We Can’t Fix Anything
"Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. 'You have so little faith,' Jesus said. 'Why did you doubt me?'" (Matthew 14:31)
Many things stir in us when we hear those words and make them our own. We read them and listen to them in our hearts. They sound accusatory, don't they? For some of us, it sounds like, "You failed, again. "You couldn't trust Jesus enough." "You couldn't fix what was happening." "You haven't been strong enough."
Whatever that may mean for you during these days, you know what? That's exactly right. You couldn't, and you haven't. But I don't think that is the tone Jesus used or what He intended in His words. Why do I say that? Because everything else we know about Jesus tells us, that is not how He is with us. Remember, earlier, we read how even in His grief and weariness, Jesus showed compassion. He healed the sick and fed so many with so little. Peter, what was it like for you when you were sinking? What did you say?
“The Hand of God” by Yongsung Kim
The artist Yongsung Kim offers us an image of what it is like when we realize that we can't help ourselves. What do you see in that picture? I hope it's one of hope. Jesus comes to you when we're sinking. What do we see when we finally realize that we can not help ourselves and look beyond the hand breaking through the water?
Look at the face of Jesus. It's kind and compassionate. It says, "I've got you."
Of course, when Peter saw the circumstances around him, he became afraid. We can confidently say he had every reason to be frightened. The wind was more substantial than expected. The storm was more forceful than anticipated. Things were not under his control. It wasn't something he could fix. It wasn't something he could help. So he became fearful, and he started sinking. But Peter did not go down to the bottom. Yes, he did get wet, but he did not drown.
Here's what's important to remember: Jesus did not hesitate to reach down to pull him out, and Peter did not wait to come to Him. There were no what-ifs or any bargaining between Jesus and Peter at that moment, Jesus reached for him at that moment, and Peter grabbed on for dear life.
During these months, I have felt like I was going under, and I know many of you have felt the same way. Regardless of the reasons, I will say: Here I will testify that whenever we cry out to Jesus, and when we unclench our fist of the things we're holding onto so tightly so we can grab on to hold on to Him so desperately and say, "Lord, save me." He does every single time. He's faithful that way.
We absolutely cannot help ourselves. And that's the whole point of the good news of the Gospel that we say we believe and trust, and I cannot rescue myself. I can't restore my soul. I can't heal my brokenness. I can't help myself. I can't determine or choose who God is and how He will be in my life. And neither can you.
What It Looks Like When Jesus Rescues Us
If you are a follower of Jesus, hear this, we are not left to bob up and down in the raging waves. If yours is the hand reaching up to Jesus, if yours is the voice crying out, "Lord saved me," then He immediately responds. He may not react the way you expect or want, but He responds. You may have to keep laying down your circumstances every time you pick them up and try to handle them. You may have to learn some hard lessons, as each of us has during these days, but he will respond and reach down to save you.
The prophet Jeremiah knew well days like our own. He wrestled with God, and he wrestled with God's people. He despaired with what he saw taking place around him. God's Word acknowledges our awful times as we grieve over our many losses. I hope Jeremiah's words of despair are in some way encouraging for you.
"I will never forget this awful time,
as I grieve over my loss.
Yet I still dare to hope
when I remember this:
The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
His mercies never cease.
Great is his faithfulness;
his mercies begin afresh each morning.
I say to myself, "The Lord is my inheritance;
therefore, I will hope in him!"
The Lord is good to those who depend on him,
to those who search for him.
So it is good to wait quietly
for salvation from the Lord." (Lamentations 3:20-26)
When Peter was pulled out of the water, climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped, and the disciples witnessed his rescue; their despair turned in an instant. They had seen with their own eyes the mercies and faithfulness of Jesus to all of them at that moment. Matthew tells us that their immediate response was to worship Him.
When I come out of these days, and years from now, when we're asked, "What were those days like for you?" I don't want to say, "Well, you know, I did this, and this, but it didn't work. So I tried this. And that didn't work, either, so I just tried to help myself and hold my head above the water."
No, what I want to say is this, "Those days were scary and unpredictable. There was so much grief. It's hard to describe how difficult it was, but I do remember that God was there in my heartache, sorrow, and inability to fix anything."
The truth is that God is with us right here and now. It isn't much to say, but it's absolutely everything.
TL;DR
Scripture repeatedly disproves that God does not help those who help themselves.
The phrase comes from the Enlightenment period, was first written down in the 1600s and popularized by Benjamin Franklin.
When Peter was sinking, Jesus did not hesitate to rescue him.
The point of the Gospels is to remind us that we absolutely cannot do it on our own. You can’t restore your soul or heal your brokenness.
When in times of struggle, God’s response may not look like what we want, but He responds.
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About Christ Church Memphis
Christ Church Memphis is church in East Memphis, Tennessee. For more than 65 years, Christ Church has served the Memphis community. Every weekend, there are multiple worship opportunities including traditional, contemporary and blended services.
