"Me Do It"

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up (James 4:10).

I can still hear one of my children crying, "Me do it," when they were toddlers and struggling for some independence. Even as adults, we sometimes act the same way with God. We try to do things in our own power, and that's often a recipe for disaster. But in a society that teaches us to take charge and achieve, letting go can be difficult. We like to think we have it all covered.

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).

At a former church, several members talked about being unable to witness to others. Again, they were depending too much on their abilities and not relying enough on God. Christians have the Holy Spirit residing within them, and He has all the power and abilities they need. We just need to surrender and give Him the lead.

Submit yourselves therefore to God (James 4:7a).

In fact, we often put too much emphasis on our wise choices and good works. God cares more about our hearts and to whom we belong. He created us to have a close, intimate relationship with Him. That should be our first priority. When we have that, wise choices and good works will be a natural outgrowth. Let's not try to do things ourselves but let God do them through us.

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