Is Self-Reliance a Sin?

Therefore let us leave the elementary
teachings about Christ and go on to maturity,
not laying again the foundation of repentance
from actions [dead works] that lead to death,
Heb 6:1 NIV

We have the hardest time grasping the fact that relying on something - anything - anybody - AS OUR SOURCE - other than Father God is sin. Even self-reliance is sin. We know we were saved by grace through faith but we all want back up plans to live every day life. We are commanded to put no other God's before Him but we just don't get it that we, pious us, might have an idol. Last week, we talked about trusting Father God by faith.

Like just now, my vision was suddenly impaired; there was a large flashing lighted image that would not go away. I am a nurse and the enemy was threatening me as several possible diagnoses went through my mind. I certainly don't believe it is wrong to go to a doctor but I prayed first.

My revelation is that it is wrong to immediately look to another source besides Father God, without asking Him what to do. We should always ask Father God for His plan, relying on Him as our ultimate source. If He had said to call a doctor now, I would have called. He said to lay my fingers on my eye-lids and command healing, quoting two promises of healing, so I did. The large flashing light image immediately disappeared. Obedience works!

For we walk by faith, not by sight. 2 Cor 5:6-7 NKJV

What is more tempting to me, is to revert back to SELF-reliance: my resources, my ability, my training, my knowledge, my skills, my experience .... without asking Father God first. Self-reliance is motivated by our hope to please Father God with our own ability - or worse yet - our plan in order to please ourselves. If we truly just want to please Father God alone, why don't we just rely on Him alone as our source? Is He is not a good Father?

Let me ask you something: What is the best way to fry an egg? with oil? with butter? with a spray? sunny-side up? until dry? with brown edges? The answer is to fry it in the power of the Holy Spirit or to let Jesus fry it through us. No matter how little we seem to need His strength, we should let His Spirit do everything through us. The problem is that we are not yet convinced that unless He does it through us - we can do nothing.

"I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him,
bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. John 15:5-6 NKJV

It is hard to believe that we can free of the frustrations we had living in Romans 7. How can we be free from the guilt, false guilt, shame and bondages? a long record of failures and downward spirals? As long we are trying to live FOR Him or are doing OUR BEST to please Him, we won't.

We are like plain beige melamine cups. We are just RECEIVERS and RELEASERS, receiving Jesus Christ, walking in Christ, and helpless to do anything at all but to release Him to live His life through us. He alone is our source of everything.

Have you gotten the revelation that in Christ, we contain all that He is? If we abide in Him for hours, we will only need minutes with men? Has being in Christ not only replaced your works mentality but also your identity? Are you full of His Spirit, His works, His life, His Truth and His power?

He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk
just as He walked. 1 John 2:6 NKJV

As we abide in Him, we acknowledge that we are entirely helpless. We are in tune with His will, way and timing - not conniving of the importance our will, way and timing. In Him, our passion is to know His plan - with pure motivations - not to acquaint Him with our plan. We don't try to convince Him as we pray - we humbly walk by faith and not by sight. Everyday we rejoice because we are filled and overflowing with His Holy Spirit.

As long as we revert to trying to live FOR HIM, we will be defeated. He allows our self-reliance (our plans in our strength) to be defeated to drive us back to Him. Even if we try to rely primarily on good friends, family or our leadership, we will eventually find we are defeated. He will allow them to fail us, so we will fully rely on Him, His love, His power and His anointing.

We must learn to trust Father God 100% because the end-times are here. We will have to live in His super-natural wisdom and provision. We cannot rely on the media, the news, the government or past successes to guide out way. We must depend on Him for Words of Knowledge, Words of Wisdom and Prophetic Words. Even in turning to the Bible, the written Logos Word, we need His direction to know which passage to apply.

Let's choose again now, not to idolize anything or anybody because it will be hard to immediately discern true spiritual leaders from false teachers. The Prophet Daniel had to make choices - whether to compromise before Kings, in hopes of saving his neck, or to obey God. We must be submitted to authorities but ultimately to Father God. He chose Father God and was willing to deal with the consequences without complaining.

Like Daniel, we will choose to either demonstrate our convictions or to compromise them. If we rely on our own strength, we will fail. We must rely on no one but Father God as our source and choose spiritual life even when it might lead to physical death. If we do not repent of self-reliance now and continue to idolize acceptance, approval, success, our partners, position, beauty, ministry, materialism ... why would we trust God in the end-times?

Relying on Christ is enough; He is our all in all. Amen?

Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you,
the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. For the Father
loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and
He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel."
John 5:19-20 NKJV

All that is important about a cup is that it is filled and
that it is willing to pour Jesus out over and over.

Last time

Copy and print me. I will be replaced by more living water.

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