"The one who trusts in himself is a fool, but one who walks in wisdom will be safe." Proverbs 28:26 (CSB)
It's been mentioned here before, but it bears repeating; the compare and contrast of the book of Proverbs is ideal for succinctly driving home the point. It makes the proverb short enough to remember and meditate on without losing any potency or restricting its application. The point rising to the surface for me, that I'd like to quickly share, is the absolute foolishness of self-reliance. Well, not so much the foolishness of self-reliance, as its wise opposite.
Naturally, when we see a problem we instinctively begin to work to solve it. We sometimes will utilize the abilities of others, but it's our ability to manipulate or maneuver resources in order to resolve the issue at hand that we are trusting in. Sometimes it's not so much a problem we are solving, but just the everyday choices we make. As kids, many of us were told to "Let your conscience be your guide." or to "Follow your heart." The assumption is some instinctive force or direction within ourselves won't, nay can't, lead us wrong. We even sometimes place a "Christian" spin on it by claiming, "God won't let you be tempted above what you're able to bear." Oddly enough, the serpent uses Scripture (out of context or twisted just enough to not fit within the whole it was originally ripped out of) as well. God tells us this natural thinking we have is foolish. The Amplified Bible states it more bluntly "He who trusts confidently in his own heart is a [dull, thickheaded] fool…" We just can't get it through our thick skulls, Even when we think we've gotten it, we don't. We naturally just want to handle it ourselves. We have this incessant conviction that if we want something done and/or done right we just have to do it ourselves. This is the way of fools.
BUT… the way of wisdom is utter dependence. The outcome is safety, which means the outcome of the fool is destruction; which this isn't something I made up, Proverbs is clear that the end of the fool is destruction (I won't cite references, I'ld just encourage you to read the book for yourself). Utter dependence - not merely asking for assistance. Assistance is needing help with parts, but still permits room for self-reliance. Assistance may place a limit on self-reliance, but still allows for a little bit of that in-born foolishness but "Dead flies make a perfumer’s oil ferment and stink; so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor." (Eccl. 10:1 CSB) Utter dependence is the way of wisdom. Utter dependence is the way of life. Jesus emphatically declared, "Without Me, you can do nothing." (John 15:5) and "Blessed are the poor in spirit…" (Matthew 5:3) Those who realize they have nothing.
This utter dependence is not only necessary for coming to Jesus, but for abiding in Jesus. It's the necessary state of our hearts for everyday life. It is recognizing the lie of self-reliance and fighting it by crying out to The Father to fight it for you. The utterly dependent heart cries out along with St. Augustine, "Oh God, grant what Thou commandest, and command what Thou wilt." Wisdom realizes that not only are we utterly dependent on God's grace for salvation, but this state of dependence is required to live as we ought as well. Paul reminds us (as he reminded the believers in Galatia), "Are you so foolish? After beginning by the Spirit, are you now finishing by the flesh?" (Galatians 3:3 CSB) Wisdom not only realizes this is the case, but walks accordingly.
May God graciously grant us the wisdom to be utterly dependent on Him.
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