Joel M Bradshaw

10For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” 11Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” 12But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.”13Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— 14so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.–Galatians 3

You rely on many things in your day. But to really ponder matters, you are either ultimately relying on yourself or on God. Here’s an example. I need a car to take me to work. Sometimes the car hasn’t started or will not run. The attitude of self-reliance makes it so that ultimately I am the hope or the answer. I will either do the repair or replace the car. I will call for a ride or walk. But reliance on God places him at the deepest level. I therefore look to God to provide and to care even as I respond with trust.

When mechanics don’t have openings, but you are able to get it checked out still. When the supply chain crisis made it so that used cars weren’t readily available, but you were still able to find one in your price range. When you are stuck in the middle of nowhere and yet a friend can still come get you. When you have to walk a great distance and yet you have just enough of a good MS day for the body to respond. God provides and I rely on him. Self-reliance at the heart level would get me nowhere for I am not ultimately the answer. It’s a day to day trust.

With matters of salvation, it gets worse. If my only hope is to follow the law of God then I have no hope at all. For the superpower of the law is to reveal that I have broken it. It’s like that curse that Paul spoke about. It reveals my need for salvation and the fact that I on my own cannot provide it, earn it, or obtain it. I need Jesus. Christ bore my curse and therefore redeemed me from it. Self-reliance is not the answer, for the self ultimately fails. The only hope is to fully rely on God. This is to depend upon God. This is faith.

So ultimately who or what do you rely upon? At your heart level, what utterance is your constant story? It’s either God help me or I’ve got this. And when I’ve made life about me and my pursuits I have ultimately failed. When it was about the things of God, he provided the path and the victory. Every weight loss season that depended upon myself has failed. Every season of trust in God has led me to a better place.

You are either ultimately relying on yourself or upon God. What would others say about you?–JMB