A recent Washington Post article cited a Barna survey asserting that the adage "God helps those who help themselves" is not biblical. The author claims that this saying "violates a primary scriptural teaching that only God determines a person's destiny."

Barna's survey (available online at http://www.barna.org states that 53% of those surveyed believe this statement, which he refers to as "conflicting with the Bible." Other findings he found shocking were that 41% do not believe "that the Holy Spirit is a real entity" and 40% do not think Satan is a real person.

Barna thus concludes:

"The fact that most adults ... believe the Bible teaches that God helps those who help themselves shows how post-modern thinking is gaining ground, even in churches. That belief exposes our theological cornerstone - that we are the center of all things, that it is up to us to determine our destiny, and that God is merely our assistant, not our foundation. That fits well with the idea that good people can earn their salvation or that everyone experiences the same outcome after death regardless of their beliefs... Throw in the widespread rejection of supernatural forces - such as Satan and the Holy Spirit - and you have the makings of theological ignorance and spiritual chaos in which believers are distracted from the reality of the spiritual battle taking place and separated from the spiritual power that is available to them."

Self-centered society

Barna's point is certainly valid in western society at large. While many give lip service to God and faithfully attend services at the church of their choice, the power of the church as a life-changing institution has greatly diminished. The Bible relates this as a characteristic of the end of the age: "holding the form of religion but denying the power of it" (2 Timothy 3:5, Revised Standard Version). The Living Bible paraphrases, "They will go to church, yes, but they won't really believe anything they hear."

William Barclay, in The Daily Study Bible Series, traces the source of this condition back to a self-centered worldview: "It is no accident that the first of these qualities will be a life that is centered in self. The adjective used is philautos, which means self-loving. Love only of self is the basic sin, from which all others flow. The moment a man makes his own will the center of life, divine and human relationships are destroyed, obedience to God and charity to men both become impossible. The essence of Christianity is not the enthronement but the obliteration of self."

Barna's point, exactly!

Barclay offers the following translation of this prophetic passage of scripture:

"For men will live a life that is centered in self; they will be lovers of money, braggarts, arrogant, lovers of insult, disobedient to their parents, thankless, regardless even of the ultimate decencies of life, without human affection, implacable in hatred, reveling in slander, ungovernable in their passions, savage, not knowing what the love of good is, treacherous, headlong in word and action, inflated with pride, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. They will maintain the outward form of religion, but they will deny its power. Avoid such people."

Notice that we are admonished to "avoid such people." Our lives must reflect faith and trust in God. God, not self, must be the focal point of our lives. But does this mean we should do nothing to help ourselves?

Proper way to help ourselves

What about those who do believe in the Holy Spirit and the existence of Satan? Is it possible to consider God the center of our existence and still help ourselves as well as to seek his help?

Another popular saying suggests, "God does for us what we cannot do for ourselves." Is this biblically sound? Does God want us to do all we can to help ourselves and look to him for what only He can do for us? Or is that a lack of faith?

Faith and Works

The spiritual principle here is faith and works. Some pit works against faith in a false dichotomy. The idea of justification "by faith alone" leads some to believe that any kind of "works" are counterproductive to God's will. While this may seem plausible conceptually, it doesn't play out very well in practical terms.

We trust God to protect us, but we lock our doors and wear seat belts, don't we? We can ask God to provide our material needs, but we still work to earn money to pay our bills. In fact Paul admonished the members in Thessalonica, "If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat" (2 Thessalonians 3:10). If we lose our job, we can pray for God to provide new employment. But doesn't He expect us to do all we can to find a job?

Some infer a negative concept of "works" from what Paul wrote about "justification by faith." This doctrinal error soon became prevalent, resulting in a need for clarification by later apostolic teaching. James confronts this reasoning with the challenge: "Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works" (James 2:18). He then concludes, "Faith without works is dead" (James 2:26).

True faith involves trusting God and helping ourselves

There are some things that only God can do for us. Acceptance of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ is necessary for forgiveness of sin. Only God can give us eternal life and resurrect us from the dead.

But between these monumental events, we must do all we can to help ourselves and seek God's help at the same time. Paul tells us to "Work out your own salvation" realizing that "God ... works in you ... to will and to do ... His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:12-13).

King David, whom God described as "a man after My own heart" (Acts 13:22) spoke of God as his helper in many passages in the Psalms (Psalm 28:10, 27:9, 30:10, 33:20, to name a few).

Hebrews 13:6 tells us, "So we may boldly say: 'The Lord is my helper...'" Earlier in the same book, we find this admonition: "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16).

An old adage suggests that when we need Gods help in a special way, we should pray as if it all depends on God and work as if it all depends on us. That is faith and works in action. God does help those who help themselves.