Focus on God, Not your Problems

Focus on God, Not your Problems

As human beings, we all have limitations. Some of us spend too much time focusing on our limits, while others avoid them because of how it makes them feel. We have to have a clear understanding so we can know where we can look to God for help.

We can see from the following passage how insignificant we are as humans compared to God.

He existed in the form of God, yet he gave no thought to seizing equality with God as his supreme prize. [7] Instead he emptied himself of his outward glory by reducing himself to the form of a lowly servant. He became human!

Philippians 2:6-7 TPT

This passage for me is both humbling and inspiring. It’s humbling because it states that Jesus became lowly like a human, yet inspiring because Jesus is a perfect example for each of us. He had the same limitations we have yet lived an amazing life.

Do you see yourself as lowly? Are you aware of your limitations?

People can accomplish great things in life through talent, training and hard work, but we can do this by either being self-reliant or God-reliant. Let’s take a look at a passage that describes what self-reliance looks like.

Cursed is the one who trusts in human strength and the abilities of mere mortals. His very heart strays from the Eternal. [6] He is like a little shrub in the desert that never grows; he will see no good thing come his way. He will live in a desert wasteland, a barren land of salt where no one lives.

-Jeremiah 17:5-6 Voice

Whenever I read this, I am struck first by the word “cursed.” It sounds and feels so intense. However, according to its definition, it merely means “afflicted.”

Think about the following qualities in Jeremiah 17 as negative side effects of the drug of self-reliance (in other words, the kind of person self-reliance makes us):

Unfaithful – Your heart strays from God and others – Self-reliance makes us unfaithful because, by definition, we are ultimately only relying on ourselves. We never allow ourselves to need God or other people. There is a limit to the loyalty and intimacy we can experience in relationships.

Unmoved – You don’t grow – Self-reliance gets us stuck because we avoid situations or opportunities where we don’t believe we can be successful. But the reality is that God often puts us in situations “over our heads” so we can grow.

Unbelieving – You don’t see good things happening even when they do – Self-reliance makes us only trust what we can see or understand for the future. This leaves no room for what God can do. Hopefully, this helps you identify whether you are experiencing any of these side effects of self-reliance.

Remember You are victor!!

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