Believe in Yourself- or God?
"Believe in yourself." That's a popular phrase people use to motivate one another. We even tell ourselves that. However, in hindsight this popular phrase often leads us astray from what is better or even best for us.
If we think honestly about it, "Believe in yourself" can reinforce a negative direction in life. Sure, telling someone to believe in himself/herself may give that person a sense of courage, but it could be a misguided form of courage. What if we are encouraging someone to do the wrong thing? What if we are encouraging someone to do something they really ought not to do? Has this ever happened to you?
Far better is to encourage someone to trust God, to fear God out of a sense of respect. David, although he was skilled with his weapon of choice, didn't believe in himself when he killed Goliath, the giant Philistine. He feared God and acted out of a righteous fear of God:
"Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” (1 Samuel 17:36-37)
When the Israelites took the city of Jericho upon entering the Promised Land, they did so because they feared God and obeyed what surely would have seemed to be a ridiculous plan. Believe in yourself and go take the city? No! They marched around the city once per day for 6 days, and on the seventh day, they marched around it 7 times. Thirteen times they marched around the city- then the walls fell and they were able to go up into it and to conquer it (Joshua 6:3-5).
When God called Jeremiah to be a prophet, He did not tell Jeremiah to believe in Himself. He said, "I have made you an iron pillar, a fortified city" (Jeremiah 1:18). God also repeatedly reminded Jeremiah to not be afraid or intimidated. Jeremiah, who often struggled with his divine calling, found his strength in God- not himself.
Believing in ourselves gives us a "people power" which can often lead us towards foolish mistakes. A proper, abiding relationship with God gives us a type of courage that will always lead to a higher good and never lead us astray.
We must be careful that we are not superimposing a false belief in God. Many people have been disappointed after pursuing desires that really weren't part of God's plan. The "name-it-and-claim-it" theology is just another form of believing in self. For if our plans are not in accordance with God's will or His character, then failure to attain God's best for us is inevitable. Sometimes we may actually get what we desire, but it may not be what God has determined to be better for us.
"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." (James 1:17)
So how can we know God's will and live according to that instead of just believing in ourselves?
Romans 12:1-2 tells us:
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."
Believe in God.
Disney really pushes this idea of trusting in "self" over anything else. Their theme is, "Follow your heart." If your heart tells you it's right, then it's right for you. They emphasize, don't follow the rules, don't listen to authority, be your own authority.
Jeremiah 17:9
That's ironic, isn't it? Yes, they do emphasize that now, but do you remember Pinocchio? The moral lesson was that if you rebelled against your parents, drank, smoked, and cursed, you'd become a jackass!
Thank you for your valuable posts. I have a big problem with this:
What about all the verses in the Bible they use to support the above...
like... say unto this mountain... ask and you shall receive?
Hi @hope777, I do owe an explanation for my statement above. In that particular sentence I was referring to the "prosperity gospel" (It is common in the US, but I'm not sure about other parts of the world). The prosperity gospel takes those verses out of context, such as the way satan tempted Christ in the wilderness. Examples of the prosperity gospel would include claiming a really expensive car and expecting God to give you that car rather than a more modest one, or claiming to become wealthy- not for the benefit of others, but for oneself- and expecting God to hand you the money rather than providing you with a way to go out and earn it. The impression that I have of the prosperity gospel is that instead of trusting in God's good and perfect will, sometimes people supplant God's will with their own. It's as if sometimes people try to override God or to force Him to act in a certain direction, kind of like the Philistines who captured the Ark of the Covenant so they could have God as their personal "genie" so-to-speak. That's what I meant by it being a form of believing in self.
Of the two verses you cited above, I wholeheartedly believe those verses are true. I have experienced mountains moved and have received some amazing things from the hand of God; I've also seen such things happen in the lives of many of my friends. I have also heard some amazing stories from missionaries to different parts of the world who practice those verses daily. I hope this clarifies any confusion I may have caused, and I thank you for pointing out that sentence.
Hmm.. Great
Hmm food for thought
Actually Christianity is all about total trust in God
Yes! That’s a true point. Like a newborn baby is completely dependent upon its parents.
I like to believe in myself because I believe God does. I think we all have our difficult days, but at the end of the day we are the ones who need to motivate ourselves to keep going. Whether that's through prayer or scripture reading. Thank you for sharing this, served as a very much needed reminder.