The "It's Okay, God, I've Got This" Battle

So there needs to be the point where we look at our lives and the things that we do and hold onto so tightly and ask ourselves, "Is this something I can let go of?" The battle, my friend, known or not, is between our self-reliance and our God-reliance, our self-confidence, and our confidence in God. If you were to take a step back and have a good look, would you find that you are able to rest in God's work, or are you only satisfied when you are able to rest in your own work? Are we relying on God at all?

I think for most of us, this battle starts at a very young age. We all want to be the hero, right? We all want to be the leading role (or at least I do). We all want to be the juicy patty in the cheeseburger. We all want to do things on our own and prove to the world that we can, and of course we all want to be praised for how good we are at getting it all done, all by our own strength and talent. Because really, who wants to be stuck in the last riser of the chorus in the big show of life? Not me! Who wants to be the wilting lettuce in the big cheeseburger of life? No way, Jose! Who wants to let other people do things and get the praise and glory for it while we stand off on the sidelines unrecognized, when the truth is we could do it so much better? I'd rather die a death by foil wrapped around my head than not be noticed! (Maybe not the dying by foil part, but you know, I was being dramatic to make a point.) I have to admit that even as I write I can hear it - can you? Pride. You see, relying on yourself fully and completely, while seeking all the praise and glory, as the world encourages us to do, is actually a big-time spiritual battle. When self-reliance runs the risk of becoming our primary source of self-esteem, or when it becomes the only thing that gives us our worth and sense of purpose, we eliminate God from the picture and replace him with our own striving. This battle of self-reliance is worse than it might appear because it leads us to pride. Pride, no matter how big, fabulous, and colorful the parades for it might be, is actually not a good thing. It's actually one of the deadly sins.

...excerpt from Victorious Secret: Everyday Battles and How To Win Them, chapter 13, The "It's Okay, God, I've Got This" Battle

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