I Can Do It For Myself

My daughter just turned 3 last month, and she’s got one heck of an independent streak. She has reminded us continually over the last month that she is “bigger” and so therefore can do everything by herself. She loves to tell us “I do it for myself” and she doesn’t need any help.

Except when she does. Those moments are interesting, too. Like when she’s got half of the toothpaste squeezed out of the tube because she was “bigger” and “could do it for herself” and now she realizes that things have suddenly gotten out of control. Or when she tries and tries and tries and tries and then throws it down in frustration, but then perks up when one of her parents offers to help.

Often we treat God the same way. We try to do everything ourselves, and then when we finally realize we can’t do it, then we go to Him for help. Often our prayers reflect that attitude. We says “God, help me to be like Christ today” which is code for “God, I can do it myself, mostly, but will you fill in all the gaps please?”

We don’t need God’s help, not because we can do it on our own but that we absolutely cannot do it on our own. It’s not like God’s help will supplement our effort and make us like Christ. We’re nothing like Him, we’re broken and fallen and prone to wander off.

We don’t need God’s help because we need Him to do the whole thing.

To live through us.

To make us like Christ because we cannot do it ourselves.