"I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." John 15:5
If you have ever raised children you know how independent they can be. I saw it in my daughter when she was a little girl and I have seen it in my granddaughters. The thing that you notice in all little children is their "ability" to be able to "do it" regardless of what "it" is. They think they can do anything. My granddaughters tell me all the time, "I can do it". I start to help them with something and there reply is always, "I can do it". When a child says, "I can do it", what they are really saying is, "I don't need any help".
Like I said earlier, I have noticed this in little children, I have also noticed this in us as God's children. We often have this same independent spirit with Him. How many times have you been guilty of thinking that "you can do it"? I have. I have tried to solve problems on my own, tried to decide what direction I should take, tried to produce character in my life through my own ability and tried to crucify this flesh in my own strength- without God's help. I thought I could do it only to discover that I can't, and I discover that when I fall flat on my face after attempting it on my own. As much as we would like to think that we can do things on our own, as much as we would like to think that we are that smart, that strong, that talented, the truth is that without the Lord we are nothing and can do nothing. It is in Him that we live and move and have our being. There is a reason the verse reads, "I can do all things 'through Christ', which strengthens me." If I could do it on my own without His help, it would have simply stated that, "I can do all things."
The bottom line is that when when it comes to living the surrendered life, winning victories over the enemy and the flesh, when it comes to accomplishing the assignment we have been given and the work that we are to do, we need help- we need God's help. To think that we don't is prideful, stubborn and immature. Children finally do reach a point where they really "can do it" on their own in some areas, but you and I will never reach a point where we will not need God's help in everything.
Have a great day. We cannot do it independently of God, no matter what it is, we will always need His help.
For further reading:
Philippians 4:13
Acts 17:28
John 5:19
Like I said earlier, I have noticed this in little children, I have also noticed this in us as God's children. We often have this same independent spirit with Him. How many times have you been guilty of thinking that "you can do it"? I have. I have tried to solve problems on my own, tried to decide what direction I should take, tried to produce character in my life through my own ability and tried to crucify this flesh in my own strength- without God's help. I thought I could do it only to discover that I can't, and I discover that when I fall flat on my face after attempting it on my own. As much as we would like to think that we can do things on our own, as much as we would like to think that we are that smart, that strong, that talented, the truth is that without the Lord we are nothing and can do nothing. It is in Him that we live and move and have our being. There is a reason the verse reads, "I can do all things 'through Christ', which strengthens me." If I could do it on my own without His help, it would have simply stated that, "I can do all things."
The bottom line is that when when it comes to living the surrendered life, winning victories over the enemy and the flesh, when it comes to accomplishing the assignment we have been given and the work that we are to do, we need help- we need God's help. To think that we don't is prideful, stubborn and immature. Children finally do reach a point where they really "can do it" on their own in some areas, but you and I will never reach a point where we will not need God's help in everything.
Have a great day. We cannot do it independently of God, no matter what it is, we will always need His help.
For further reading:
Philippians 4:13
Acts 17:28
John 5:19
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