The Bible Doesn't Say That (1)

God Helps Those That Help Themselves

Matthew 6:25–33 ESV

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

A 2017 Barna study reported that “52 percent of practicing Christians strongly agree that the Bible teaches ‘God helps those who help themselves’” (“Competing Worldviews Influence Today’s Christians,” Barna, May 9, 2017, https://www.barna.com/research/competing-worldviews-influence-todayschristians/). The original quote on which this belief is based, “The gods help those who help themselves,” can be traced to ancient Greek culture. Although the phrase may have the sound of something spiritual, the actual concept is found nowhere in Scripture. Clarence L. Haynes Jr. writes, “This phrase is used to underscore the necessity for people to take self-initiative. It is still very popular around the globe, especially inspiring those in the self-help community. … Though it has ancient origins, the actual English version of this quote we use today was first penned by Algernon Sydney, an English politician who lived in the 1600s” (Clarence L. Haynes, Jr., “Why ‘God Helps Those Who Help Themselves’ Is Presumed to Be Biblical,” Christianity.com, July 7, 2020, https://www.christianity.com/wiki/christian-life/why-god-helps-those-who-helpthemselves-is-presumed-to-be-biblical.html).

Modern culture—particularly in Western countries—idolizes self-sufficiency. We love stories about people who began with nothing and, through sheer grit and perseverance, became self-made men and women. These stories comfort us when we feel like “success” is beyond our reach. They teach us that if we hold tightly to our dreams and don’t give up, we too can experience the ultimate prize of living in riches and comfort. Ke Huy Quan’s emotional acceptance speech at the 2023 Oscars is a recent real-life example of someone pressing on through adversity and finally achieving, in his own words, “the American dream” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFRIu7ehZl0). It is good to recognize and celebrate accomplishments that are born out of adversity. It is especially good when that recognition allows us to point directly back to God and give him the credit he deserves. However, it’s also vital to remember that even if these dreams of ours never come to pass, God is still good, still in control, and still cares for every one of our needs. Whether we experience “success” or “failure,” we can still trust that God is present and active in our lives—even if we can’t see it in that particular moment.

Jesus’s words in Matthew 6:25–33 directly oppose “God helps those who help themselves”; Jesus reminds us that we are best served when we seek God first in our lives rather than the counterfeit comforts and securities that we spend so much of our time running after. MacDonald writes, “In this passage Jesus strikes at the tendency to center our lives around food and clothing, thus missing life’s real meaning. The problem is not so much what we eat and wear today, but what we shall eat and wear ten, twenty, or thirty years from now. … This type of worry causes us to devote our finest energies to making sure we will have enough to live on. Then before we know it, our lives have passed, and we have missed the central purpose for which we were made. God did not create us in His image with no higher destiny than that we should consume food. We are here to love, worship, and serve Him and to represent His interests on earth. Our bodies are intended to be our servants, not our masters” (William MacDonald, “Matthew,” in Believer’s Bible Commentary, 2nd ed. [Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2015], Matthew 6:25, Bible Gateway Plus).

Rather than being “gospel truth” that moves us to a deeper connection with our heavenly Father and the body of Christ, this idiom encourages us to focus on our own needs at the expense of others: “In an individualistic culture, people are considered ‘good’ if they are strong, self-reliant, assertive, and independent. This contrasts with collectivist cultures where characteristics like being selfsacrificing, dependable, generous, and helpful to others are of greater importance” (Kendra Cherry, “Individualistic Culture and Behavior,” Very Well Mind, updated March 10, 2023, https://www.verywellmind.com/what-areindividualistic-cultures-2795273).

One of the greatest dangers of believing that “God helps those who help themselves” is the tendency toward hyper-independence, or the belief that, when push comes to shove, the only one you can depend on is yourself. This is especially true if there is a history of abuse or trauma in a person’s past. “Hyperindependent people … feel their sense of independence and capability is key to protecting themselves from future trauma, so they fail to trust others enough to help them or shoulder any of their responsibilities. … They can be obsessed with maintaining a busy lifestyle, setting and reaching goals, and climbing the professional ladder. They tend to value their profession above any relationships like friends or family. They would gladly sacrifice relational commitments to prioritize their work” (“Hyper Independence Trauma: Signs, Causes, and Treatment,” HealthMatch, updated November 6, 2022, https://healthmatch.io/ptsd/hyper-independence-trauma).

In Matthew 6:32, Jesus teaches us that we have a loving Father who knows each of our physical, spiritual, and emotional needs and who considers it a joy to provide for them. Further, in Hebrews 4:15–16 we are reminded that “We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Hebrews 4:15–16 ESV

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Trusting in God doesn’t mean that we sit around doing nothing all day, expecting that God will show up and do everything for us, just like we can’t expect the dishes to become clean if we never put them in the dishwasher, add the soap, and press the start button. Some effort is required of us. When we seek God first in our lives and take the time to discover his best for us, all of our other priorities and concerns fall into their proper place. We no longer have to strive for perfection and security in our own strength. We can find healing and rest from our past hurts. And we can learn to live in community with other believers whom we can in turn learn to trust to help us carry our burdens and our griefs.