The Word - March 13, 2012 - THE PERIL OF SELF-RELIANCE

"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in them. For all that is in the world; the desires of the flesh and of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world" (1John2: 15-16).

Would you consider yourself be a strong person? Do you tend to live your life in that strength? If that is the case, then this devotional is just for you....and for myself as well. So this morning I am really writing this to myself, but you are invited to listen in if you wish.

Even as a teen-ager, one of my favorite works to recite in speech competition was "invictus" by W. E. Henley. That poem ends with two declarations which I can almost hear myself recite to this day: "I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul." You know, I used to think that sounded so valiant and courageous. But the attitude it spawns, left unchecked, can place us in direct opposition to the Lord being able to do any work in our lives.

In our Scripture for today, we see some specific references to pitfalls we should be avoiding in our lives" the desires of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life", with the added warning that such tendencies are not from the Father, but from the world. In fact, we see the boastful "pride of life" running rampant in society. "I did it my way" seems to be the theme song choice of so many of the Lord's people as well.

Over the years, I have been convicted about so many areas of my life in which I have engaged in the fool's errand of refusing God's ways to try and build things my way instead. That always results in the necessity to ask the Lord for help in correcting the errors, cleaning up the messes and unsnarling the tangles caused by my own misguided humanistic efforts. Have you had to endure some similar experiences?

Would you pray with me? Dear Lord, I confess my tendency to try to operate in my own strength. I ask Your forgiveness for the many times when my first response to a problem or crisis in my life, instead of relying on you, has been to turn to my own resources. Lord, I acknowledge before You that my strength is totally inadequate for anything I have to face. In this moment, I promise that for anything I try to accomplish it will only be in Your strength. I place myself entirely in Your hands. In Jesus Name. Amen