There is an old adage, "God helps those who help themselves", which sounds so plausible that it is often attributed to scriptural truth. The idea is, if we apply a reasonable amount of self-effort to improve the circumstances of our life, God will jump in at some point and help us along the way. Many people are convinced that this saying has a biblical basis. In fact, in a survey by George Barna, 75% of American teenagers said they believed that it was the central message of the Bible! On the surface there seems to be a fair amount of credibility to this axiom. On the other hand, what about those who cannot help themselves? The reality is, we have all found ourselves in difficult situations and facing complicated issues in our lives. Many people are ill equipped to deal with these issues in a positive way, thus, they turn to negative, unhealthy solutions that create other, often more complex, problems. Many times these folks simply do not know where to turn, or what steps to take to reverse the cycle in which they have found themselves. If an individual is not able to improve his or her situation in life, do they somehow have less value in the eyes of God? Are we to believe that God has no interest in extending a helping hand to those who just can't seem to "get it together"? On the contrary! Listen to what the bible says,"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble". (Psalm 46:1) In Jeremiah we are reminded, "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord". (Jeremiah 17:7)
Unfortunately, the counsel of our society encourages this "God helps those who help themselves" mentality. The humanistic thinking in our secular culture is built on the premise that man is fully capable of solving the problems of the human race, apart from the involvement of a Sovereign Being (God). In fact, those who are walking with their Creator in a secure, loving relationship, are often labeled as weak, or in need of a crutch. The bible actually condemns this self help mindset, "He who trusts in his own heart is a fool: but whoever walks wisely, will be delivered" (Proverbs 28:26).
The main reason that we are incapable of solving the problems of the human race, much less our own problems, is that we are the problem! A central truth in the scriptures is that man was created in moral perfection, in order to live life as he was designed to live, in connection with God. When we are disconnected from God, we are incapable of governing our lives, or the lives of others, to meet the moral satisfaction of our Creator. The biblical truth is, God desires our trust and dependence upon Him, because He cares deeply about us as individuals, and our families. We don't need to "go it alone" in life, or "pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps" and "keep on keepin' on"! God loves us as we are, and desires that we would come to Him even in our brokenness, to find the resources to live our lives as He designed us to live.
We believe that God has already given us a tremendous resource to help us sort out the difficult situations and complicated issues that often are a part of our lives. In the midst of the many philosophies and ideologies available in today's society, we believe that the bible is still very much relevant as a foundation on which to build our lives and is entirely sufficient in itself as the primary means of help and guidance to the individuals and families who may be struggling in their day to day existence. The bible is a book that contains examples of real life experiences, it is a book that dispenses enduring wisdom, it is a book that imparts Divine principles by which to live, it is a book that inspires, it is a book that chastens, it is a book inspired by God as an indispensable tool in building proper relationships, with God and with our fellow man.
We at the Come to the Well Biblical Counseling Center would like to introduce you to this life changing book. If you or someone that you know is in a troubling situation, or at a perplexing crossroad in life, we want to be a resource to help you move beyond brokenness and become whole again. "A wise man will hear and increase learning, and man of understanding will attain wise counsel" (Proverbs 1:5).
