Self-Sufficient Life Is a Myth – Teen Devotion #27

The self-reliant person lives in a fantasy world. It’s an illusionary place. It is not a real-world because it is impossible to achieve a state of self-sufficiency where you are not dependent on anyone. Nobody can be self-sufficient. Not even Jesus had the ability to be entirely independent.

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Jesus resisted this self-focused temptation by choosing to do something counter-intuitive to self-sufficiency: He humbled Himself to the will of God (John 6:38). He had enough sense to know that someone else had to direct His life.

Self-sufficiency is the self-deceiving and isolating process of trying to be stronger and stronger while resisting other people’s help, especially help from the Lord. It is a sinful desire to build a lifestyle and reputation that releases a person from trusting God or needing assistance from their friends.

While his self-reliance projects the image of being strong and in control, the reality is that the individual is weak and not in control. It’s an illusion. All of humanity needs God’s favor and empowering grace. A self-reliant spirit is a form of insanity—when you pretend to be something you are not. We are broken, depraved, and dependent creatures. We cannot accomplish and sustain anything outside of God’s proactive intervention, provision, and undergirding power.

Ironically, you are God-dependent, whether you want to admit it or not. The world is clamoring to promote themselves while trying to prove to anyone who will listen that they have it together because they have tapped into their true selves and achieved greatness—according to how they define success.

Time to Reflect
1. What specific ways do you struggle with self-reliance?
2. What is your practical plan to find help to overcome this anti-God sin pattern?