One major issue with most self-help programs is that they expect us to do everything by ourselves. This promotes self-reliance, which over-emphasizes our human abilities and dismisses our divinely infused need for God. Jesus explicitly says that we must stay connected to Him in order to flourish. “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Instead of helping us to achieve the wellbeing we desire, self-reliance separates us from the vine and deludes us into a state of pride and spiritual death.
We are not alone, and we are not meant to live solely by our own abilities. Through the supernatural grace of God, we are invited to participate in the spiritual life, to experience lasting communion with the Lord, and to contribute productively to a divine and human collaboration. Only when we allow the Holy Spirit to illuminate our souls, only when we fully cooperate with God’s grace, and only when we freely trust in His creative power do we begin to thrive the way the Lord intends for us. Jesus promises his disciples: “behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). We are not expected to do everything by ourselves, and we simply cannot by design do anything properly without God.
Living in right relationship with the Lord enables our fulfillment and our happiness. Saint Bonaventure concludes that “Since happiness is nothing else than the enjoyment of the supreme good, and the supreme good is above us, no one can enjoy happiness unless he rises above himself.” We begin to rise above ourselves when we humble ourselves before God.
Humility allows us to appreciate the absolute awesomeness of the Triune God. Humility reminds us that everything we are and everything we have is on loan from our Creator. Humility makes us grateful for all of His gifts. And humility gives us hope in His promise of joy and life everlasting. Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina observes that “You must not be discouraged or let yourself become dejected if your actions have not succeeded as perfectly as you intended. What do you expect? We are made of clay and not every soil yields the fruits expected by the one who tills it. But let us always humble ourselves and acknowledge that we are nothing if we lack the Divine assistance.”
Our reliance on our loving Father only serves to deepen our bonds. Saint Jean-Baptist de La Salle cautions that “The more you abandon to God the care of all temporal things, the more He will take care to provide for all your wants; but if, on the contrary, you try to supply all your own needs, Providence will allow you to continue to do just that, and then it may very well happen that even necessities will be lacking, God thus reproving you for your lack of faith and reliance on him.”
God’s generosity knows no bounds for His faithful children who place their trust in Him. Jesus assures us when he says, “Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they?” (Matthew 6:26). Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque notes: “Do not be afraid to abandon yourself unreservedly to His loving Providence, for a child cannot perish in the arms of a Father Who is omnipotent.” Saint Paul of the Cross encourages us to “Entrust yourself entirely to God. He is a Father and a most loving Father at that, who would rather let heaven and earth collapse than abandon anyone who trusted in him.”
Just as we can’t save ourselves by our own power, we can’t become our best selves without divine guidance and strength. Saint Alphonsus Liguori states that “Those whose hearts are enlarged by confidence in God run swiftly on the path of perfection. They not only run, they fly; because, having placed all their hope in the Lord, they are no longer weak as they once were. They become strong with the strength of God, which is given to all who put their trust in Him.” Whatever we endeavor is elevated and perfected when we partner with God, the source of our fortitude and the light on our path. Saint Paul reveals: “I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me” (Philippians 4:13).
We are not alone, and we do not have to do things all by ourselves. Saint Óscar Romero remarks that “We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that. This enables us to do something, and to do it very well. It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest.” Saint Francis de Sales explains: “In all your affairs lean solely on God’s Providence, by means of which alone your plans can succeed. Meanwhile, on your part work on in quiet cooperation with Him, and then rest satisfied that if you have trusted entirely to Him you will always obtain such a measure of success as is most profitable for you, whether it seems so or not to your own individual judgment.”
Stop acting like you are all alone. Turn to your heavenly Father and prayerfully discern His will for you. With His guidance each day, select priorities to address. With His strength, set out to accomplish those tasks for His glory. Ask for His help at the start of every day, and reflect on how you feel His presence in your efforts every night. Make this a regular habit, and see what happens.
Challenge: Work with God to Focus on Your Priorities Every Day
