Frank Sinatra’s classic, “I Did It My Way,” sounded nice, as far as his voice was concerned, but the lyrics show a proud and arrogant man who faced life independent of others’ help. You’ve probably heard people say, “Nothing has ever been given to me. I’ve worked hard for everything I have.” They probably mean that they haven’t received government assistance for anything, but is it true that some people are completely responsible for whatever they have?
It’s human nature that we like to take credit for what we’ve accomplished. Every parent has been confronted with these words from their child, “I can do it myself.” It’s not wrong to try to do things on our own, but part of maturity is realizing that we have been blessed by many others and that gratefulness is better than arrogance.
Some questions that should be considered by the person who feels self-dependent are, “Who changed your diaper, fixed your breakfast, bought your clothes for school, or taught you to read and write? Who farmed the land to produce your food, drove the produce to the store, or went grocery shopping for you? As you aged, who pumped your gas, fixed your car, or prepared your meals at the restaurant? What doctor or dentist served your needs as you aged?” It’s easy to adopt the attitude that you have always worked for whatever you have. But it is not true. You’ve been assisted by others every step of the way.
God warned His people of this errant attitude. Through Moses, He said, “When the Lord your God brings you into the land He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.” (Deuteronomy 6:10–12)
God also warned them not to think, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” (Deuteronomy 8:17) When I look back over the years, I have received underserved favor through my family, Karen’s family, and my church family. Sure, I haven’t been lazy (naps don’t count), but it’s because of the kindness and foresight of others that I have been able to accumulate what I have. It definitely hasn’t been through my power and the strength of my hands alone. I’m sure you have a similar testimony.
The first passage reveals that it’s when we are well-fed and satisfied that we are most susceptible to forget God or our need for Him. Like Israel, we can assume that it’s because of our righteousness that God blesses us, but Moses told them, “Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the Lord your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people.” (Deuteronomy 9:5–6) It is because “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, Who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:17)
Moses went on to recount Israel’s rebelliousness. Not to wallow in guilt and shame, but periodically it is good to review our times of rebellion against God. It will keep us humble as we remember God’s patience, forgiveness, and grace. “These things [rebellions of Israel] happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” (1 Corinthians 10:11–12)
The solution to a self-righteous and self-sufficient attitude is expressing our thankfulness to God and to other people. God has seen fit that I’ve reached my present age, had needs of mine met by others, bestowed favor on me that I didn’t deserve, and has brought others into my life that have shown kindness to me.
The greatest thing that has ever been done for each of us that we could not do for ourselves is what Jesus did. He left Heaven and laid aside His privileges as God to become a human being. He was still fully God, but He also became fully man. “You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though He was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, He gave up His divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being.” (Philippians 2:5–7)
He did it so that He could suffer God’s wrath for our sins and transgressions against God. Therefore, He is able to offer us the gift of a new life and entrance into Heaven. It’s ours for the taking, but we must reach out to Jesus for it to be ours. Then, live your life His way.
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