I naturally hate having to depend on other people. I would much rather be the one offering help. If I’m honest, I sometimes make self-reliance my ultimate goal in life. I want to be so wise that I no longer need mentors and advisers. I want to be so competent that I can figure out the solution without having to collaborate with others. I want to have every resource I need so that I’m not at the mercy of someone else’s generosity.

But the truth is this: I lack so much wisdom that I must have others speaking into my life if I am going to learn how to navigate all the things. And I’ll never be able to solve the biggest problems without having great people around me to help me. And I’ll never have everything I need just from myself to accomplish whatever mission God has for my life.

My name is Ben and I do not have what it takes to live the life I’ve been created for.

Leave this statement on the screen. On three we’re going to say it out loud and when you say it, just put your name there instead of my name. 1,2,3.

My name is __________ and I do not have what it takes to live the life I’ve been created for.

I’ve been led to believe the lie that having to rely on someone else is a curse for my life. The truth is that reliance can be a great gift to us. This is why I’m calling my message for today, “The Gift of Reliance”.

2 Corinthians 1:8-11 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.

Having a strong faith in Jesus will not remove troubles from your life.

Paul’s faith in Jesus was as strong as anyone we read about in Scripture and yet, he faced so many troubles. Having a strong faith in Jesus gives you the needed strength to walk through the inevitable hardships of life. It is easy to think we have a strong faith when everything is positive with our circumstances.

When everything is going well in our lives, self-reliance can look like God-reliance.

When all is well in life…when your relationships are thriving…when you’re crushing it at work…when you’re eating at the finest restaurants and regularly taking trips to exotic islands. In these moments, we’re like, “God is so good and my faith is so strong right now.” God is so good in those moments and God is still so good when your life is so bad.

Why does God allow things to come into our lives beyond what we can handle on our own?

Though we’ll never receive all the answers to our “why” questions, we do need a faith that’s wide enough to include a God who allows trials and suffering. Does your theology have the ability to speak into your trials and sufferings? If not, you’ll become disillusioned. If not, you’ll become part of the growing number of people leaving their faith. Not because there is something wrong with God…simply because they only constructed a faith for the good and easy times of life. If you are deconstructing your faith, we’re thrilled that you’re here. Whatever your story is, I want to encourage all of us to construct our faith in a way that encompasses the full breadth of the “with God” life. Paul was close to God and he suffered a lot. Jesus was God in the flesh and he suffered a lot.

Paul says, “We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself.” We aren’t told too many details about what Paul was facing. And I think that’s helpful, because we love to compare our hard with someone else’s hard. I’m guessing many of us in this room have something in our lives that has put us in one of these three categories: Under Great Pressure, Far Beyond Your Ability, and maybe even Despairing of Life Itself.

Are you under great pressure in your marriage? With your finances? With your boss?

Are you in anything that’s beyond your ability? Maybe a leadership role in our church or in your company? Perhaps you’re now responsible for something you don’t feel you have the capacity for?

As you think about what it is for you that tends to put great pressure on you, I want to ask you to use your imagination to reflect on this question:

What might God’s invitation to you be for the thing that seems impossible in your life right now?

We assume that when something is beyond our ability, that it must be beyond God’s ability too. Paul shares what God was inviting them into. “We felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.” So if you’re up against something that you can’t figure out. And something that all of your wealth cannot buy. And all of your influence won’t get you what you need. There is still a God at work who raises the dead.

Why do we only rely on ourselves, when resurrection power is available?

Here’s what one commentator wrote about this experience Paul was having.

We frequently need a good dose of helplessness when we are reduced to extremities and stripped of all self-confidence before we learn humility and open ourselves up to God’s power.

Your current challenge has created a gap between what you have and what you need. Will you fill the gap with doubt and a lack of confidence or with faith that still believes that with God, anything is possible.

We can easily forget how we entered the kingdom of God in the first place. You and I didn’t become children of God because of what we brought to the table. We entered the family of God because of what Jesus brought to the table.

Ephesians 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.

You enter a life with Jesus by grace. It is not from yourselves. It is the gift of God. It is not by any of the works you have done or can do. It’s such a gift that there’s no way you can boast about it. If you are a Christian, this is how you became one. If you are not a Christian, this is how you can become one today.

Let God’s past activity in your life fuel your hope in God for your future.

“He has delivered us from such a deadly peril and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us.” What “impossible” situations has God delivered you from in the past? How can this build your confidence that He can do it again?

It is so ironic that we treat ourselves like we should have no limits and we treat God like He is the one who is limited.

Why else would we shy away from asking God for too much?

You’ll never be able to fully rely on yourself for what you need most in life.

Self-reliant people also think they’re the answer to what everyone else needs.

If you think you’re all you need, then you might think that you’re all everyone else needs. I can think that all people need is my wisdom, my gifts, my experience. Ha! People need so much more than what I can give them. I can’t give my wife everything she needs. I can’t give my kids or our staff or this church or you what you need. So what I want to do instead is get your eyes on the God who can meet every single one of your greatest needs.

Psalm 26:1-3 Vindicate me, LORD, for I have led a blameless life. I have trusted in the LORD and have not faltered. Test me, LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind; for I have always been mindful of your unfailing love and have lived in reliance on your faithfulness.

Reliance is not a curse; it is a gift. And it is a gift that God wants to give to every one of us.

Practical Ways to Face Impossible Situations

Remind yourself often of how God has delivered you in the past

Prayer and Fasting

Build a Team of Intercessors

(v.11) “You will help us by your prayers…gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.”

For our response time today, I really want us to collectively concentrate on one big idea together. Whether you are a Christian or not. Whether you are under great pressure or little pressure during this season of your life. Here’s the thing I want us to give our full focus to – shift from self-reliance to God-reliance.

The Holy Spirit wants to help us do this. This shift might look like you quit trying to work your way into a life with God and instead, by grace, receive the life Jesus wants to give you as a gift. This shift might look like you trust God so much that you start sleeping with greater peace tonight. This shift might look like you start asking for help from God and other people rather than trying to do it all yourself. It might look like you start pursuing what used to seem impossible, but now you believe the God of the impossible can bring it about.