“God helps those who help themselves.” – Algernon Sydney (c. 1698; later quoted by Benjamin Franklin)
This is yet another saying that isn’t really Scripture, but some people think it is. Although it sounds like “Bible” and sounds like something from Proverbs, it isn’t. The Bible actually says something quite different. As we explore this statement more, we’ll look at a Scripture that provides more biblical clarity than this saying.
Common (Mis)usage:
When it’s referenced, the idea of God helping those who help themselves is probably well-intentioned. It seems the aim is to make sure human responsibility isn’t completely abandoned in favor of reliance on God. Unfortunately, people wrongly believe this is in the Bible or is at least a biblical idea. The truth is that not only is this not found in the Bible, it also runs counter to the Bible. While human responsibility is expressed in Scripture, self-reliance is not. What’s more, in several passages of Scripture, God bestows grace on and helps those who cannot help themselves. Here is one such passage:
“For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.” – Rom. 5:6 KJV
Basic Context & Meaning:
Romans 5:6 declares that at the appropriate time Christ died for the ungodly, i.e., those who were weak and lacking strength. In other words, Christ died for those who could not help themselves. Paul was providing a bit of a gospel shorthand in Romans 5:6. Man is ungodly and sinful based on his actions and by his nature. God is holy and good, and He provided redemption for fallen humanity at the appointed time through Christ. Without Christ, man is hopeless, desperate.
Suggested Usage/Application:
The idea that God helps those who help themselves sounds good on the surface, but it doesn’t agree with the Bible and the gospel. A good work ethic is important. Applying effort and diligence in devotion to God is important. Yet, the gospel is relentlessly moving mankind away from self-reliance and toward God-reliance. God is not looking for us to “meet Him halfway” nor is He providing partial salvation where we need to do the rest of the “work.” God doesn’t need our meritorious service in order to rescue us because He is good and kind apart from any other and doesn’t “need” anything. 1 We only need to trust the Son (Jesus), and in doing so, we’ll be transformed by Him (2 Cor. 5:17) and empowered to live devoted lives for Him. God’s help is not conditional on our willingness to apply human effort. Instead, it’s all rooted in Jesus’s atoning work on the cross. Jesus didn’t wait for us to get right or improve ourselves either; He died while we were still in a state of sin. So, rather than focusing on what we can do or our need to “pull ourselves up by our bootstraps,” we ought to look to Him, with worship and rejoicing, and rest in this truth.
1. A.W. Tozer said “Need is a creature-word and cannot be spoken of the Creator.” That is, “need” is something that’s ascribed to created beings and cannot apply to the Creator because of His power and ability to create.