Being proactive in life and wanting to get things done is good. God encourages us to work and be good stewards of the abilities he has equipped us with. However, when we develop a self-sufficient attitude it can also lead to the sin of pride if we are not careful. When we start believing more in ourselves than trusting in God, we risk missing out on the blessing that comes from relying solely on God, which is where our true deliverance can be found.

The “I’ve got this!” attitude can also be a sign of fear… the fear of giving up control, that is. The fear of being vulnerable and admitting our great need for God. The fear of accepting help thinking that it will lessen our value in some way. These are all obstacles that we can unintentionally create that hinder our spiritual growth.

A Christians life is defined by faith… faith in the One who holds our future in his hands and who has promised to never leave us. It is believing that if God says he will work all things together for our good, that is exactly what he will do. Our definition of “good” may look differently than God’s sometimes, but that is the beauty of trusting His Word. Our human minds are limited and cannot comprehend the greatness of God. Our plans our usually based on the here and now because that is all we know. But God knows all, he sees all, and is in it all! We can rest secure that He is good, and His plans are always good. We may do our best to prepare, and we should always work where God has us, but ultimately our victory and hope are only in Him!

Suggested prayer: Dear God, please keep me from becoming prideful and believing more in my own abilities than in You. Thank you for being my safe place in every circumstance. I know the victory belongs to you and your plans are always for my good. In Jesus’ precious name, amen.

1. Proverbs 21:30-31 (NLT).

Today’s Encounter was written by: Crystal B.