The 7 ResolutionsSýnishorn

No To Self-Help; Yes To God’s Power

Fifty-two percent of adults who call themselves Christians embrace a works-oriented means to God’s acceptance. Even more troubling is that seventy percent of Catholics, forty-six percent of Pentecostals, forty-four percent of Protestants, and forty-one percent of evangelicals believe a person can qualify for heaven by being or doing good (ACU Cultural Research Center). It’s all too common to slip into the mindset that our worth is linked to our performance.

In fact, self-help seems to have been a temptation for Christians since the beginning. In his letter to the Galatian church, Paul asks this: “Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” (Gal. 3:2-3). Self-help didn’t save us, so how can we expect to grow in godliness in our own strength? Living in God’s power is the only path forward that doesn’t end in exhaustion, tragic compromise, or ruin.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I have a few shelves of the best self-help books. Although there are great truths packed into them on topics like discipline, habits, and time management, they fail when they put the onus upon us to succeed in our efforts alone.

God’s calling is higher than most self-help enthusiasts are aiming for. The gospel goes to the soul of a man or woman. The gospel gets into messes that self-help doesn’t even try to address. The gospel intends to alter the direction of our life and the very way we walk through this life. This work is tough, thorough, and impossible if not for God. Paul wouldn’t touch self-help. Look at how he approached his work of witnessing and disciple-making: “For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me” (Col. 1:29). His life and ministry were all about God’s power—and that’s what we need!

The 7 Resolutions are all about taking hold of God’s power in the areas of your life where your best efforts are getting you nowhere. These 7 Resolutions address the biggest issues I’ve seen Christians struggle with in my time as a pastor.

• We lack essential spiritual disciplines, so we miss out on hearing God’s voice.
• We’re not mindful of who we are in Christ, so we give in to insecurity and inaction.
• We try to cover the tracks of our sin, so it ends up smothering us with shame.
• We have foolish friends, and when we attempt to make changes, we get pulled down to their level.
• We stopped taking risks, and settled for a life of mediocrity.
• We lack focus around our calling, so we don’t know where to aim our efforts.
• We don’t redeem time, and our days are swallowed up by others’ expectations and squandered by our weaknesses.

Do any of these resonate with you? The rest of this study will take you through each of The 7 Resolutions, so that you can boldly say no to self-help and yes to God’s power. Believe God to do what you haven’t been able to achieve through your best efforts. God is ready and eager to do with you what you can’t do by yourself. You just have to ask!

TIME TO LET GO

• Confess to God your tendency to rely on your own effort for spiritual growth.
• Take some time to identify one or two areas of your life that are really holding you back from experiencing God’s promises for you (you can use the list above as a starting point).
• Confess this brokenness to God and ask for His grace and forgiveness to help you repair it.