View Book:

Our Struggles Can Push Us To Choose Self Over God

---



Book 12 - in the “God’s Truth” Series

The Idol of Self: Our Struggles Can Push Us To Choose Self Over God

The Dangers of Choosing Self Over God & Why So Many Do It

By Mr. Elijah J Stone
and the Team Success Network

 

Table of Contents

 

PART 1 – The Drift Toward Self............................................................ 1

CHAPTER 1 - When Struggles Lead Us Away From Trust........................ 1

CHAPTER 2 - The Illusion of Control..................................................... 1

CHAPTER 3 - Forgetting God in Daily Life.............................................. 1

CHAPTER 4 - When Money Becomes Our Master.................................. 1

CHAPTER 5 - The Idol of Self-Reliance.................................................. 1

 

PART 2 – The Tragedy of Choosing Self Over God................................. 1

CHAPTER 6 - Blindness to Sin’s Danger................................................. 1

CHAPTER 7 - Subtle Paths to Idolatry................................................... 1

CHAPTER 8 - Why Doing It On Your Own & Being Successful Can Still Be A Failure For Your Eternal Life......................................................................................... 1

CHAPTER 9 - The Cross We Overlook.................................................... 1

CHAPTER 10 - Eternal Consequences of Self-Trust................................. 1

 

PART 3 – Returning to Full Dependence on God.................................. 1

CHAPTER 11 - The Grace That Calls Us Back.......................................... 1

CHAPTER 12 - Surrendering What We Cannot Control........................... 1

CHAPTER 13 - Learning to Trust God’s Ways......................................... 1

CHAPTER 14 - Being God Dependent, Not Dependent on Money Or Self, Or Any Idea or DIY, Or Skill That Can Bring Calmness......................................................... 1

CHAPTER 15 - Walking in Eternal Security Through Christ...................... 1

 

 

Part 1 - The Drift Toward Self

Life’s struggles can wear us down and push us into a dangerous habit of self-reliance. When prayers seem unanswered or God’s timing feels unclear, we often look for solutions we can control. It feels easier to trust our own plans, money, or abilities than to wait on a God we don’t fully understand. Yet every step toward self-sufficiency is a step away from God’s design.

The pull of self is subtle. It creeps in when we make daily decisions without prayer, when busyness overshadows devotion, or when financial security replaces trust in God’s provision. Over time, we can live as though God is an afterthought. What begins as a small shift becomes a habit of leaving Him out of our lives.

Even good things, like responsibility or planning, can turn into idols if they replace dependence on God. Self-reliance promises stability but delivers pride and distance from His presence. Instead of being strengthened, we become trapped in illusions of control.

This section shows how forgetting God is not a dramatic fall but a gradual drift. By recognizing these patterns early, we can turn back before self becomes the master of our lives.

 

 

Chapter 1 – When Struggles Lead Us Away From Trust

How Our Struggles Can Push Us To Choose Self Over God

The Dangers of Choosing Self Over God & Why So Many Do It

The Reality of Struggles in a Broken World

Every believer faces struggles. Life in a broken world guarantees seasons of pain, confusion, and uncertainty. We face bills we cannot pay, relationships that feel strained, illnesses that shake our bodies, and trials that test our hearts. These struggles are not random—they test the foundation of our faith.

When the storm rages, many Christians begin to shift into survival mode. Instead of trusting God’s timing and His promises, we look for what feels practical and safe. It is in these moments of hardship that the choice becomes clear: will we lean on God’s strength or default to our own?

Key Truth: Struggles reveal whether our trust is truly in God, or if it is secretly in ourselves.

Why Struggles Push Us Toward Self

Struggles make us feel weak, and weakness is uncomfortable. No one enjoys feeling out of control. When the bank account runs low or the doctor delivers hard news, our first instinct is to “fix it.” We grasp for what we can control because the unknown feels terrifying.

This is why so many people turn inward. Self becomes the tool we trust when God’s ways seem hidden. If we cannot see immediate answers, we rely on our intelligence, money, or connections. What begins as a small choice—“I’ll handle this myself”—can quickly grow into a lifestyle of self-reliance.

Key Truth: Hardship tempts us to grab control, but control belongs to God alone.

The Illusion of Control

Self-reliance is built on the illusion of control. We think that if we plan enough, save enough, or work hard enough, we can secure our future. But the truth is, all control belongs to the Lord. Scripture is clear: “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps” (Proverbs 16:9).

The danger of control is not just that it fails—it blinds us. It makes us believe we are capable of carrying what only God can handle. This illusion can keep us busy, confident, and deceived all at once. We don’t notice how far we’ve drifted until our strength collapses under pressure.

Key Truth: Self-reliance gives false confidence that keeps us from real dependence on God.

Why So Many Choose Self Over God

Most Christians don’t consciously reject God. Instead, we slowly replace Him. When life feels manageable, prayer becomes optional. When money seems steady, trust shifts from God’s provision to the bank account. We don’t mean to idolize self, but small choices build patterns of misplaced trust.

Why do so many do this? Because trusting God requires surrender, and surrender feels risky. Self offers immediate answers—even if they’re temporary. God’s answers often require patience, obedience, and faith. Choosing self feels easier in the moment, but it is always more dangerous in the long run.

Key Truth: Choosing self feels easier today, but it robs us of God’s strength tomorrow.

The Subtle Danger of Forgetting God

Forgetting God doesn’t always look like rebellion. More often, it looks like busyness. We rush through days full of work, family, and responsibilities, and in the process, we stop depending on Him. Slowly, our hearts grow accustomed to a life where God is absent from daily decisions.

This kind of forgetfulness is deadly because it feels harmless. No one notices right away. But over time, a Christian who forgets God becomes a Christian who trusts only self. The enemy loves this subtle drift, because it blinds us to the reality that we are no longer walking in faith.

Key Truth: Forgetting God in the small things leads to rejecting Him in the big things.

The Role of Money in Self-Reliance

Money is one of the clearest ways struggles push us toward self. When finances are tight, we often panic and scheme. Instead of seeking God for wisdom, we run to credit cards, side hustles, or quick fixes. Money becomes our savior in practice, even while our lips say God is Lord.

Jesus warned us directly: “You cannot serve both God and money” (Matthew 6:24). Money promises safety, but it delivers slavery. Those who rely on it soon become controlled by it. The temptation of wealth is strong because it feels like the most practical answer to struggles. But when money is master, God is no longer trusted.

Key Truth: Money cannot save us; it only reveals who we truly trust.

How Idolatry Forms in Struggles

Idolatry doesn’t always come as open rebellion. It often begins in pain. A person struggling through loss may turn to alcohol for comfort. Another person battling financial stress may obsess over work. Slowly, the thing that promises relief becomes the thing that rules.

This is how self, money, or control become idols. Struggles push us to worship what we think will save us. But idols never satisfy; they only enslave. Choosing self is not just a bad habit—it is worship directed at the wrong source.

Key Truth: Struggles expose who or what we worship when life feels out of control.

The Eternal Danger of Choosing Self

Choosing self over God is not just a daily mistake—it is a spiritual danger with eternal weight. Salvation is through Christ alone. When we place trust in ourselves, we reject the very gift that secures eternal life. Scripture is blunt: “Those who trust in themselves are fools, but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe” (Proverbs 28:26).

The tragedy is that many people feel “good enough” to stand before God. They rely on morality, church attendance, or good deeds. But self-trust blinds them to the truth: without Jesus’ sacrifice, no one can be saved. The eternal danger of self is separation from God forever.

Key Truth: Depending on self leads to death, but depending on Christ leads to life.

Why Self Feels So Attractive

Self feels attractive because it promises control, speed, and results. Trusting God often requires waiting, and waiting feels impossible in a culture of instant gratification. We live in a world that rewards independence and mocks dependence. As a result, even Christians are trained to think self-reliance is maturity.

But maturity in God is the opposite—it is childlike trust. Jesus said, “Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3). Choosing self may impress the world, but it cannot please God. True strength is dependence, not independence.

Key Truth: What the world calls strength, God calls weakness without Him.

The Path Back From Self

The good news is that God does not leave us trapped in self. His grace calls us back every time we drift. Struggles are not meant to destroy us but to drive us to His presence. Even when we’ve chosen self for years, His arms remain open.

The path back begins with humility. Admitting we cannot save ourselves is the first step of true faith. From there, God rebuilds our hearts on the foundation of His grace. Struggles lose their power when we let them push us toward God instead of away from Him.

Key Truth: Every struggle is an invitation to return to God’s strength.

 

 

Chapter 2 – The Illusion of Control

How Struggles Lead Us to Trust Ourselves Instead of God

Why Choosing Self Feels Safer but Always Ends in Danger

Control Is the Human Default

Every person longs for a sense of control. We want to know the plan, manage the outcome, and predict the future. It feels comforting to believe that if we work hard enough or think smart enough, we can secure our lives. Control promises stability, but it never delivers.

Struggles are the moments when this desire for control shows up most strongly. When life shakes, our instinct is to grab hold of something tangible. Instead of leaning into trust, we tighten our grip on self. Control feels natural, but it quietly pulls us away from dependence on God.

Key Truth: The desire for control is the doorway through which self-reliance enters our hearts.

How Struggles Magnify the Need for Control

Struggles magnify the fear of the unknown. When health deteriorates, finances crumble, or relationships break, we panic. The lack of answers feels unbearable, and in that panic, we turn inward. We believe our effort will solve the problem faster than waiting on God’s timing.

This is why struggles so often produce self-reliance. Pain magnifies impatience. We want relief now, and we convince ourselves that taking matters into our own hands is the most logical solution. But in reality, every struggle is designed to magnify our need for God, not for ourselves.

Key Truth: Struggles are meant to expose our need for God, but they often drive us to trust in self.

Why Choosing Self Feels Safer

Self feels safer because it gives the illusion of control. We can see our bank accounts, measure our work hours, and count on our relationships. Depending on God, on the other hand, requires faith—something we cannot see, measure, or guarantee on our terms.

This is why so many choose self over God. Faith feels risky, while self feels predictable. Yet this safety is false. Trusting in self is like building a house on sand. It stands for a moment, but when the storm comes, collapse is guaranteed.

Key Truth: Self feels safe because it’s visible, but true safety only exists in God.

The Pattern of Self-Reliance in Scripture

The Bible gives countless examples of people choosing self instead of God. The Israelites, fearful of giants, trusted their fear more than God’s promise (Numbers 13). King Saul, impatient for Samuel, offered sacrifices himself and lost his kingdom (1 Samuel 13). Each time, the choice to trust self over God led to disaster.

Struggles were the context for their choices. Fear, waiting, and uncertainty pushed them toward control. The same pattern repeats in our lives today. We choose shortcuts, compromise, or comfort instead of faith. Scripture warns us not to repeat their mistake.

Key Truth: History proves that choosing self over God always leads to failure.

Modern Examples of Choosing Self

We don’t have to look far to see this pattern today. A struggling business owner may manipulate numbers instead of trusting God for provision. A young believer in a relationship may compromise purity because self feels easier than obedience. A family in financial strain may depend entirely on loans rather than seeking God’s wisdom.

These are not isolated stories—they are everyday realities. Struggles create pressure, and under pressure, self rises quickly. The world applauds self-reliance, but heaven grieves over it. God invites us to dependence, yet we settle for the illusion of control.

Key Truth: Every time we trust ourselves in struggle, we trade God’s wisdom for the world’s applause.

Why Self-Reliance Is So Attractive

The attraction of self-reliance comes from pride. We want to feel capable. We want others to see us as strong. Depending on God feels weak in a world that rewards independence.

Struggles amplify this desire because they threaten our pride. We don’t want to look desperate, powerless, or needy. But God is not ashamed of our weakness—He is glorified in it. The tragedy is that pride blinds us to the beauty of dependence.

Key Truth: Self-reliance feeds pride, but dependence on God glorifies Him.

The Danger of Forgetting the Cross

When we choose self, we forget the cross. The death and resurrection of Jesus prove that we cannot save ourselves. Yet every time we depend on self, we live as though the cross was unnecessary. We insult the very sacrifice that bought our freedom.

This is the greatest danger of self-reliance. It doesn’t just harm our daily lives—it denies the gospel. To depend on self is to declare, “I don’t need Jesus.” That lie, left unchallenged, can destroy both our present walk and our eternal destiny.

Key Truth: Self-reliance is not just bad practice—it is unbelief in action.

Money as the Most Common Substitute

Money is the most common substitute for God’s provision. In times of struggle, people turn first to savings accounts, credit, or debt instead of prayer. Money feels immediate. It feels powerful. But it is powerless to secure eternity.

Jesus was clear: “You cannot serve both God and money” (Matthew 6:24). Struggles reveal who we believe is Lord—our bank balance or our Savior. The tragedy is that many believers never notice how often money becomes their first response instead of God.

Key Truth: The god of money is the most common idol created in the fires of struggle.

The Consequences of Self-Reliance

The consequences of self-reliance are devastating. Spiritually, it leads to blindness. We stop recognizing sin because we believe we can manage it. Emotionally, it produces anxiety. We carry burdens too heavy for us to hold. Eternally, it separates us from God.

Every believer must see the cost. Choosing self may seem small today, but it creates a pattern that shapes eternity. Struggles reveal where our foundation lies, and if that foundation is self, collapse is certain. Only Christ can sustain the weight of our lives.

Key Truth: What begins as a small choice of self can end as eternal separation from God.

Why So Many Do It

Why do so many believers fall into this trap? The answer is simple: because it feels natural. Dependence on God is learned, but dependence on self is instinctive. From birth, we are trained to trust what we see, not what we cannot see.

Struggles magnify this instinct. Fear tells us that God’s way is too risky, too slow, or too uncertain. So we grasp for the nearest solution. This is why so many Christians unintentionally drift into self-reliance, even while professing faith in God.

Key Truth: Self-reliance is natural to the flesh, but dependence on God is supernatural by grace.

The Hope of Returning to God

The hope is that God does not leave us stuck in self. His Spirit convicts us, His Word warns us, and His love calls us back. Struggles are not meant to destroy faith but to refine it. Even when we have failed, grace is greater.

The way back begins with humility. Admitting we cannot carry the weight is not weakness—it is wisdom. God honors those who lay down control and return to trust. The illusion of control is broken the moment we acknowledge His lordship again.

Key Truth: Grace makes it possible to leave self behind and return to full dependence on God.

 

 

Chapter 3 – Forgetting God in Daily Life

How Small Choices in Struggles Lead to Self-Reliance

Why Forgetting God Opens the Door to Danger

The Silent Drift Away

Forgetting God in daily life rarely happens in a loud, obvious way. It’s not usually a decision to rebel, but a slow drift. Struggles occupy our minds, deadlines press in, responsibilities multiply, and soon prayer and trust in God are crowded out. Without realizing it, self becomes our default.

This is one of the most dangerous patterns for believers. It doesn’t look like open sin, but it carries the same effect. A Christian who forgets God in small choices will eventually trust themselves in big decisions. This drift is the seed of self-reliance.

Key Truth: The greatest danger to faith is not outright rebellion but quietly forgetting God in daily life.

Why Struggles Crowd Out Dependence

Struggles demand attention. Bills pile up, sickness disrupts routines, and relationships require constant care. These pressures feel urgent, and urgent things often push out the eternal. Instead of slowing down to seek God, we speed up to manage life.

In these moments, the temptation is to trust what feels practical. We lean on schedules, budgets, or human advice instead of leaning on God. The more intense the struggle, the more natural it feels to depend on self. Struggles don’t just test our faith—they reveal it.

Key Truth: Struggles test what we trust most: God’s promises or our own strength.

The Subtle Nature of Forgetfulness

Forgetting God doesn’t usually mean ignoring Him completely. It looks like praying less, rushing through scripture, or treating worship as optional. Slowly, dependence is replaced by routine, and routine is replaced by neglect.

This forgetfulness is subtle, which makes it deadly. No one wakes up planning to drift, but drift still happens. When God becomes an afterthought, we step onto the dangerous path of self-reliance without even noticing.

Key Truth: Forgetfulness is the seed of self-reliance, planted one small compromise at a time.

When Struggles Lead to Practical Atheism

Practical atheism is living as if God doesn’t exist, even while claiming faith. It’s the Christian who still attends church but makes daily decisions without prayer. Struggles intensify this temptation. The pressure to “do something” overshadows the call to trust.

This is why forgetting God in daily life is so dangerous. It reshapes how we think and act until our faith becomes words only. We confess dependence on God with our lips but deny Him in our choices. Struggles, if left unchecked, turn believers into practical atheists.

Key Truth: Struggles can turn believers into practical atheists who live as if God is absent.

The Dangers of Self-Led Decisions

When we forget God, our decisions become self-led. We marry based on feelings, spend money based on fear, and pursue careers based on pride. These choices may look wise in the moment, but they carry consequences we cannot foresee.

Self-led decisions multiply struggles instead of solving them. What was meant to bring relief often creates more pain. Forgetting God leaves us unprotected, without His wisdom guiding our steps. This is why Proverbs warns us: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5).

Key Truth: Decisions made without God’s guidance always produce regret.

Money, Influence, and the Trap of Self

Struggles often highlight two resources we run to first: money and people. Both are blessings when used under God’s direction, but both become traps when trusted above Him. Many believers forget God because they lean too heavily on income, savings, or powerful connections.

The tragedy is that these things can fail in a moment. Money can vanish. People can betray. Struggles remind us of how fragile these supports really are. Yet when we forget God, we build our trust on shaky ground.

Key Truth: Relying on money or people is like leaning on a broken staff—it will eventually collapse.

Biblical Warnings About Forgetting God

The Bible repeatedly warns against forgetting God. Israel was told in Deuteronomy 8:11, “Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands.” The warning came because prosperity and struggle alike can cause forgetfulness. In both, people turn inward instead of upward.

Struggles especially magnify this temptation. When Israel faced enemies, they often ran to foreign alliances instead of God’s protection. Their forgetfulness cost them dearly. These stories remain as warnings for us today not to fall into the same trap.

Key Truth: Scripture proves that forgetting God always leads to defeat and destruction.

Why So Many Believers Do It

So why do so many Christians forget God in daily life? The answer lies in comfort and habit. We are trained from childhood to rely on our ability. Culture praises independence. When struggles come, we default to what we’ve been trained to do—solve them ourselves.

Even mature believers struggle here. Habits of prayer and trust must be intentional. Without constant guarding, struggles push us toward control, and control becomes idolatry. The danger is not weakness—it is failing to recognize our need for God every single day.

Key Truth: Forgetting God is the natural instinct of the flesh, but remembering Him requires discipline.

The Eternal Consequences of Forgetting

Forgetting God in daily life may seem harmless, but it has eternal consequences. A life of self-reliance cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Jesus warned in Matthew 7:23 that many will say, “Lord, Lord,” but He will reply, “I never knew you.”

This warning should shake us. Forgetting God is not a small slip—it can reveal a heart that never truly trusted Him. Eternity is at stake, and struggles are the proving ground. Choosing self now may cost eternal life later.

Key Truth: Forgetting God daily may lead to being forgotten eternally.

God’s Invitation to Remember

Even in the face of danger, God’s invitation is clear: remember Me. He calls us to bring our struggles, fears, and daily pressures back under His care. Remembering is an act of worship. It says, “God, I cannot do this on my own.”

Struggles can either be the reason we forget God or the reminder that we need Him. The choice is ours. Every trial is a fresh opportunity to turn back to dependence. God never grows weary of His children returning.

Key Truth: Struggles can either harden us toward self or humble us toward God.

 

 

Chapter 4 – When Money Becomes Our Master

How Struggles Push Us to Trust Finances Over God

The Hidden Dangers of Money and Why So Many Depend on It

Money Feels Like the Most Practical Savior

When struggles hit, money becomes the first place many turn. If bills pile up, the answer seems simple: “Make more money.” If an emergency arises, the instinct is, “I’ll put it on the card.” In a culture that equates money with power, wealth looks like the ultimate savior.

This mindset is why Jesus spoke so strongly about money. He warned that it competes directly with God for our loyalty. In Matthew 6:24, He said, “You cannot serve both God and money.” Struggles don’t just test faith; they reveal whether money or God is the master.

Key Truth: Struggles expose whether we trust money as our savior or God as our provider.

How Struggles Make Money Look Like the Answer

Financial pressure is one of the most common struggles people face. Losing a job, watching expenses rise, or fearing the future can create deep anxiety. In those moments, money feels like the only solution. The temptation is strong to believe that if we just earn, save, or borrow enough, everything will be okay.

This is how struggles push us into self-reliance. Instead of seeking God’s wisdom, we chase financial fixes. Instead of asking for His provision, we depend on our hustle. Money becomes the first answer in our minds, and God becomes the last resort.

Key Truth: Struggles train us to run to money first, even though it cannot solve what only God can.

Why So Many Depend on Money

Why do so many people put their hope in money? Because it feels visible and secure. You can count it, store it, and spend it. God’s provision, on the other hand, requires faith. It is unseen until it arrives, and that waiting is uncomfortable.

The world reinforces this mindset. Advertisements, financial advisors, and cultural voices all repeat the same message: “If you have enough money, you are safe.” This is why believers so easily fall into the trap. They begin to trust money in the same way they should trust God.

Key Truth: Money feels secure because it is visible, but real security comes only from the unseen God.

The Danger of Making Money an Idol

Money in itself is not evil. It is a tool. But when it becomes an idol, it destroys. An idol is anything we look to for safety, security, or identity instead of God. Struggles magnify the temptation to idolize money because money looks like the fastest fix.

The danger is subtle. We may still pray, attend church, and give offerings, but in practice, our hearts lean on money. Jesus called this out when He said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). Our bank statements reveal who we truly trust.

Key Truth: Money is not the enemy, but making it an idol will enslave us.

Biblical Examples of Money Becoming Master

The Bible offers powerful examples of how money masters people. Judas betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver, proving how greed can blind. The rich young ruler walked away from eternal life because he could not release his wealth (Matthew 19:22). Ananias and Sapphira lied to the Holy Spirit because money gripped their hearts (Acts 5).

Each story shows the same pattern. Struggles or desires created pressure, and under pressure, money became the master. What looked like gain turned into destruction. Scripture is clear: love of money is a root of all kinds of evil (1 Timothy 6:10).

Key Truth: The love of money has always blinded people, and it still destroys today.

How Struggles Reveal the False Promise of Money

Struggles reveal money’s limits. When sickness comes, money can buy doctors but not healing. When grief strikes, money can buy distractions but not comfort. When sin chains the heart, money has no power to set free. In the end, money is a poor substitute for God.

The more we chase money in struggles, the more enslaved we become. Debt multiplies, greed consumes, and peace disappears. Struggles reveal that money is not the solution; it is often the snare. What looks like help can quietly become bondage.

Key Truth: Struggles prove that money promises much but delivers little.

Why Trusting Money Is So Attractive

Money is attractive because it offers immediacy. It can be used today, in a way faith cannot. You can swipe a card or cash a check, but you cannot “buy” God’s provision. Faith requires waiting, patience, and surrender—things money does not demand.

This is why so many choose money over God. It feels easier, faster, and more reliable. But this attraction hides the danger: what you depend on becomes your master. If money is your answer, then money is your god.

Key Truth: Money’s immediacy deceives us into worshiping it as a god.

The Eternal Danger of Money as Master

The danger of trusting money is not only in this life—it is eternal. Jesus said it is hard for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 19:23). Why? Because those who trust in wealth often cannot let go and trust Christ. Money blinds the heart to the reality of dependence.

This is why Paul warned Timothy that those eager for money “have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (1 Timothy 6:10). The eternal danger is clear: trusting money above God reveals a heart unfit for His kingdom.

Key Truth: Trusting money is not just a bad choice—it can cost eternity.

How to Break Free From Money’s Grip

God does not call us to poverty for its own sake, but He calls us to freedom. Breaking free from money’s grip begins with surrender. It means acknowledging that every dollar belongs to Him and that He alone is provider.

Practical steps can help:
• Pray before financial decisions.
• Give generously as an act of worship.
• Refuse to let fear dictate spending.
• Remember God’s promises of provision.

When struggles come, these practices shift our hearts back to trust in God. They remind us that money is a tool, not a master.

Key Truth: Freedom begins when we surrender money’s power and trust God as our source.

God’s Promise of Provision

Struggles test our faith in provision, but God’s Word is full of promises. Philippians 4:19 declares, “My God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” Jesus reminded His followers in Matthew 6 that if God feeds the birds and clothes the flowers, He will surely provide for His children.

The danger of money is believing it provides more faithfully than God. But He has never failed. His provision may not always look the way we expect, but it is always enough. Struggles become opportunities to experience His faithfulness firsthand.

Key Truth: God’s provision is greater than money’s promise, and He has never failed His children.

The Invitation to Depend on God Alone

At the heart of the gospel is a call to trust God fully. Money cannot save us, and self cannot redeem us. Only Christ can. Struggles strip away illusions so we see clearly: our only hope is in Him.

Every struggle that tempts us to trust money is actually an invitation to deepen dependence on God. Instead of fearing lack, we are called to rest in abundance of grace. Instead of clutching resources, we are called to open our hands. The invitation is to let go of money as master and embrace God as provider.

Key Truth: Struggles are not curses; they are invitations to renewed dependence on God.

 

 

Chapter 5 – The Idol of Self-Reliance

How Struggles Push Us to Depend on Ourselves Instead of God

Why Self-Reliance Feels Strong but Always Leads to Danger

The Praise of Self-Reliance

The world celebrates self-reliance. From childhood, we are taught to “be strong,” “stand on your own two feet,” and “make something of yourself.” In culture’s eyes, self-reliance is maturity. The more you can handle alone, the more respect you gain.

But in God’s kingdom, the opposite is true. Dependence is maturity, not independence. True strength is admitting weakness so God’s power can be revealed. Struggles test whether we truly believe this or if we will cling to the idol of self.

Key Truth: What the world calls maturity, God calls idolatry when it replaces dependence on Him.

How Struggles Push Us Toward Self

Struggles trigger our survival instincts. When life feels uncertain, the first thought is, “What can I do to fix this?” This question reveals where trust is placed. Instead of lifting our eyes to God, we look inward for solutions.

Financial struggles push us to overwork. Relationship struggles push us to manipulate. Spiritual struggles push us to perform. In each case, self becomes the savior. What begins as an attempt to survive quickly grows into worship of self.

Key Truth: Struggles expose our tendency to turn self into the savior.

The Illusion of Strength

Self-reliance feels strong because it looks productive. People admire the one who “pushes through” difficulty. Hard work and persistence are valuable, but when they replace prayer and dependence, they become illusions of strength.

The danger is that self-reliance works temporarily. A problem may be managed, a bill paid, or a situation patched up. This convinces us that we are capable without God. But eventually, struggles will expose the limits of our strength. What looked strong collapses under greater pressure.

Key Truth: Self-reliance works for a season but fails when the storm grows stronger.

Biblical Warnings Against Self-Trust

Scripture repeatedly warns about trusting in self. Proverbs 28:26 says, “Those who trust in themselves are fools, but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe.” Jeremiah 17:5 declares, “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh.” The warnings are blunt: self-reliance leads to ruin.

The danger of struggles is that they tempt us to forget these warnings. Fear blinds us. Pressure makes us desperate. Instead of running to God, we run to self, even though the Bible has already shown us where that path leads.

Key Truth: Every warning in Scripture about self-trust is given because God knows we will be tempted to choose it.

Why So Many Depend on Self

Why do so many Christians still depend on self? Because it feels immediate and controllable. You can measure effort. You can feel progress. You cannot measure faith. You cannot control God’s timing.

This is why self feels easier. Waiting on God feels like doing nothing, but trusting self feels like action. Yet in reality, self is a trap. What looks like productivity is often disobedience dressed in busyness.

Key Truth: Self feels easier because it is measurable, but faith is the only true measure of maturity.

The Danger of Pride in Self

At the root of self-reliance is pride. Pride says, “I don’t need help.” Pride whispers, “I can do this alone.” Struggles feed this pride by giving us opportunities to prove ourselves. The more we manage without God, the prouder we become.

But pride blinds us to weakness. It hardens our hearts and separates us from grace. James 4:6 reminds us, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” To cling to self is to invite God’s opposition. No struggle is worth that cost.

Key Truth: Pride in self turns God’s grace into resistance.

The Cycle of Self-Dependence

Self-reliance forms a cycle that is hard to break:

1. Struggle arises.
2. We panic and choose self.
3. Temporary relief comes.
4. Confidence in self grows.
5. A bigger struggle arises—and we repeat the cycle.

This cycle deepens with every turn. Each time, God is pushed further out of the equation. Eventually, life becomes a pattern of self-dependence rather than God-dependence. The danger is that by the time we realize it, the cycle has already enslaved us.

Key Truth: Self-reliance is not a single choice but a cycle that hardens with every struggle.

Examples of Self Becoming Idol

Consider the parent who faces family conflict. Instead of seeking God’s wisdom, they control every detail, believing their strength can fix their children. Or the business owner under financial pressure, who works endless hours without prayer, convinced that hustle is the solution. In both cases, self becomes the idol.

These examples are common because they are human. Everyone struggles. Everyone wants control. But each example shows how struggles push us toward worshiping self in practice, even while confessing faith in God with words.

Key Truth: Self becomes idolized when struggles convince us to trust our own effort instead of God’s power.

The Eternal Danger of Self

The eternal danger of self-reliance is clear: it denies the sufficiency of Christ. If we could save ourselves, the cross would be meaningless. Galatians 2:21 declares, “If righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” Dependence on self is dependence away from salvation.

This is why choosing self is not just dangerous for today—it is deadly for eternity. Salvation requires surrender. Eternal life is given only to those who admit their inability to save themselves and rest fully in Jesus. To choose self is to reject the gospel.

Key Truth: Self-reliance is not just unwise—it is unbelief that can cost eternal life.

How to Recognize the Idol of Self

Self as idol can be identified by asking:
• What do I run to first in struggle?
• What do I trust most to solve my problems?
• Where do I feel secure—God’s promises or my performance?

These questions reveal patterns. If the answer is always self, the idol is clear. Recognizing it is the first step to repentance. Struggles can serve as mirrors, reflecting whether God or self truly holds first place.

Key Truth: The first step to freedom is admitting when self has become the idol.

God’s Invitation Away From Self

Even when we have trusted ourselves, God’s invitation remains open. He calls us to repent, to lay down pride, and to rediscover dependence. His mercy is greater than our failure. His strength is perfected in weakness.

Struggles are not meant to push us deeper into self—they are meant to pull us closer to God. Each hardship is an opportunity to turn from the idol of self and toward the sufficiency of Christ. God does not despise weakness. He redeems it.

Key Truth: Struggles are not proof of God’s absence but opportunities for deeper dependence.

 

 

Part 2 - The Tragedy of Choosing Self Over God

The cost of self-reliance goes far beyond daily frustration. Choosing self over God is a spiritual tragedy with eternal consequences. When we trust our own strength, we are blinded to the seriousness of sin and numb to the warnings of Scripture. Pride convinces us we can manage life on our own, but it hides the destruction waiting ahead.

Idolatry begins in subtle ways. Success, relationships, or even ministry can take the place of God in our hearts. What feels safe or respectable can become an idol that slowly dethrones the Lord. When anything is trusted above God, we have already begun to drift into worship of the wrong master.

Depending on self is also a denial of the cross. Jesus died to give us what we could never earn, yet when we live in self-sufficiency, we act as though His sacrifice was unnecessary. The greatest tragedy is not failure in life but rejecting the only One who can save us for eternity.

This section uncovers the sobering reality that self-trust not only weakens us but separates us from God. It warns that if we cling to ourselves instead of Christ, we risk losing the very salvation He offers freely.

 

Chapter 6 – Blindness to Sin’s Danger

How Struggles Numb Us to the Reality of Sin

Why Choosing Self Over God Blinds Us to Eternal Consequences

Struggles Can Make Sin Look Small

When struggles weigh heavily on us, sin often looks less dangerous than it really is. A shortcut feels reasonable, a compromise feels necessary, and a small lie feels harmless. Struggles convince us that “just this once” will make things easier.

But sin is never harmless. Every compromise pushes us further from God. Struggles don’t excuse sin—they expose whether we trust God enough to remain faithful. Choosing self in hardship blinds us to the true danger of sin’s power.

Key Truth: Struggles whisper that sin is small, but in reality sin is always deadly.

How Self-Reliance Numbs Spiritual Eyes

Self-reliance creates a kind of spiritual blindness. When we depend on ourselves, we stop seeing sin for what it really is. Pride convinces us we can manage it. Fear convinces us it’s necessary.

This blindness is subtle. A believer may still attend church, pray occasionally, and even serve, but in practice, they overlook sin. Struggles make this blindness worse, because desperation excuses compromise.

Key Truth: Self-reliance blinds us to sin by convincing us it is manageable.

The Pattern of Blindness in Scripture

Scripture gives sobering examples of how struggles blind people to sin. Samson, blinded by his lust and arrogance, fell into the hands of his enemies. King David, weary from battle, gave in to temptation with Bathsheba. The Israelites, afraid of hunger in the wilderness, complained against God and turned to idols.

Each story shows the same pattern: struggle + self-reliance = blindness. Sin never looked dangerous in the moment, but its consequences were devastating. The Bible records these lessons so we do not repeat them.

Key Truth: The Bible proves that struggle plus self always equals spiritual blindness.

Why So Many Fail to See the Danger

Why do so many fail to recognize the danger of sin? Because struggle distorts perspective. Pain makes us desperate. Fear makes us impatient. Under pressure, sin looks like relief instead of destruction.

This is why countless believers fall into self-reliance. They see only the short-term solution, not the long-term consequence. Struggles push us into tunnel vision, where sin feels small and self feels smart. But this vision is an illusion that leads to death.

Key Truth: Struggles distort our vision, making sin look small and self look wise.

The Consequences of Blindness

Blindness to sin’s danger has heavy consequences. Spiritually, it deadens our hearts. Emotionally, it feeds anxiety and guilt. Practically, it destroys relationships, families, and ministries. What begins as blindness ends in devastation.

This blindness also affects eternity. Those who continually choose self instead of God prove they never truly trusted Him. Jesus warned that many will cry “Lord, Lord,” yet be turned away because their lives were marked by sin instead of surrender (Matthew 7:23).

Key Truth: What we excuse in blindness today may destroy us forever tomorrow.

How Struggles Make Excuses for Sin

Struggles provide endless excuses:
• “I’m under pressure, so God understands.”
• “This is just temporary until things improve.”
• “I had no other choice.”
• “Everyone else does it.”

These excuses sound reasonable in hardship, but they reveal self-dependence. Instead of trusting God’s strength to endure, we trust self’s wisdom to escape. Excuses are the language of blindness, and they keep us chained to sin.

Key Truth: Excuses born in struggle are chains that bind us to sin.

The Deception of “Just Once”

One of the most dangerous lies is “just once.” Struggles make this lie believable. “Just one compromise,” we say. “Just one shortcut.” But “just once” often becomes a pattern, and patterns shape destiny.

Every great fall begins with a single compromise. No one plans to ruin their life, but blindness convinces them they are still safe. The danger is not only in the act itself but in the heart that justifies it.

Key Truth: “Just once” is never small—it is the seed of destruction.

Why Self-Trust Multiplies Sin

Self-trust multiplies sin because it makes us our own authority. If we decide what is best, sin will always feel negotiable. We will bend God’s commands to fit our struggles. The more we trust self, the more sin feels normal.

This is why so many do it. Self feels logical, and logic often clashes with obedience. When the two collide, many choose self. The tragedy is that this path blinds us until destruction feels inevitable.

Key Truth: Self-trust always multiplies sin because it replaces God’s authority with our own.

The Eternal Stakes of Blindness

The greatest danger of blindness is eternal. Sin separates us from God, and blindness keeps us from seeing that separation. If left unrepented, blindness leads to judgment. What we thought was manageable becomes the very thing that condemns us.

This is why the gospel is so urgent. Only Jesus can open blind eyes. Only His sacrifice can wash away sin. Without Him, every struggle will drive us deeper into self, and every act of self will drive us closer to eternal ruin.

Key Truth: Spiritual blindness is not just dangerous—it is deadly without Christ.

God’s Invitation to Open Our Eyes

The good news is that God does not leave us blind. His Spirit convicts, His Word reveals, and His grace restores. Struggles that once drove us to self can now drive us back to Him. He opens our eyes to see sin for what it is and grace for what it offers.

Dependence on God is the cure for blindness. When we lean on Him, our vision clears. Sin is exposed, grace is embraced, and faith grows strong. God’s invitation is simple: stop trusting self, and start trusting Him.

Key Truth: Dependence on God opens our eyes to sin and restores our sight through grace.

 

Chapter 7 – Subtle Paths to Idolatry

How Struggles Lead Us to Worship What Cannot Save

Why Choosing Self Over God Quietly Becomes Idolatry

Idolatry in Disguise

When we think of idolatry, ancient images come to mind—statues of stone or golden calves. But idolatry is far more subtle. It is placing trust, hope, or love in anything above God. Struggles make this temptation stronger because they expose what we run to for help.

In hardship, idols rarely appear obvious. They come disguised as solutions: money, relationships, careers, even ministry. Struggles push us to cling to what feels tangible. Without realizing it, we worship the created rather than the Creator.

Key Truth: Idolatry is not always loud rebellion—it is often subtle trust in the wrong source.

How Struggles Lead to Idols

Struggles create fear, and fear searches for security. When God’s ways feel slow or uncertain, we turn to substitutes. A person under financial stress may idolize money. Someone lonely may idolize relationships. A leader facing failure may idolize success.

Each of these begins as a response to struggle. Instead of driving us to God, pain drives us to replacements. The idol promises quick relief but leaves lasting chains. Choosing self in these moments is choosing an idol.

Key Truth: Struggles either push us into God’s arms or into the grip of idols.

Why So Many Don’t Notice

Most Christians don’t see their idols clearly. They excuse them as “wisdom,” “responsibility,” or “just being practical.” Struggles give cover for compromise. We convince ourselves that survival requires bending the rules.

This is why idolatry is subtle. It doesn’t demand open denial of God. It simply replaces Him quietly in daily decisions. By the time it is obvious, the idol has already enslaved the heart.

Key Truth: The danger of idolatry is not just its presence but its subtlety.

The Idol of Self

The most common idol is self. Struggles magnify this idol because self feels close and controllable. “I can figure it out.” “I can work harder.” “I can fix this.” These words sound confident but reveal worship of self.

Self becomes the god we trust most when life feels uncertain. This idol demands sacrifice—our time, energy, and peace. Yet no matter how much we give it, self can never deliver salvation.

Key Truth: Self is the idol most believers worship without realizing it.

The Idol of Money

Money is another frequent idol born out of struggle. When financial stress hits, money looks like the savior. We chase it, hoard it, or fear losing it. Soon, money dictates our decisions more than God’s Word.

The Bible warns constantly about this danger. Jesus said wealth can choke out the Word (Matthew 13:22). Paul said love of money is the root of all kinds of evil (1 Timothy 6:10). Struggles don’t create this idol, but they reveal how deeply it controls us.

Key Truth: Struggles reveal whether we treat money as a tool or a master.

The Idol of Relationships

Loneliness, rejection, and hurt push many into relationship idolatry. Instead of seeking God’s love, we demand it from people. Instead of finding identity in Christ, we search for it in attention or approval. Struggles magnify this because human comfort feels immediate.

But people cannot replace God. When we make relationships our source of worth or peace, we set ourselves up for disappointment. Struggles that should drive us to God’s embrace instead drive us to fragile substitutes.

Key Truth: Relationships are gifts, but they become idols when they replace God’s love.

The Idol of Success

Struggles in career, ministry, or calling often produce an idol of success. Fear of failure pushes us to achieve at any cost. We measure worth by accomplishments instead of obedience. Success becomes the god that defines us.

This idol is subtle because culture applauds it. Hard work, recognition, and progress look admirable. But when success replaces dependence on God, it enslaves. Struggles feed this idol by convincing us that “if I succeed, I will be safe.”

Key Truth: Success becomes an idol when it defines our worth more than God does.

The Idol of Comfort

When pain grows unbearable, comfort looks like the answer. Food, entertainment, addictions, or habits become escapes. Struggles whisper that these comforts will heal, but they only numb. What feels like relief often becomes bondage.

This idol is especially dangerous because it distracts. Instead of running to God for healing, we run to temporary pleasures. Struggles deepen this idolatry by making distraction feel necessary. But comfort without God always leaves us empty.

Key Truth: Comfort apart from God is an idol that numbs instead of heals.

Biblical Warnings About Idols

God’s Word is blunt about idolatry. Exodus 20:3 commands, “You shall have no other gods before me.” Isaiah mocked idols as powerless objects that cannot speak or save. Paul warned that idolaters will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9–10).

These warnings exist because idols are subtle. Struggles make them look wise, but God calls them foolish. Every idol—whether self, money, or success—is powerless in the end. Only God saves.

Key Truth: Every idol, no matter how useful it seems, ends in destruction.

Why Struggles Make Idols Attractive

Struggles magnify idols because idols feel immediate. God requires faith, but idols offer quick results. You can see money, hug a relationship, or count achievements. You cannot always see God’s answer right away.

This immediacy deceives us. It convinces us that idols are safer than faith. Struggles feed this deception by making waiting unbearable. This is why so many Christians quietly turn to idols instead of God.

Key Truth: Struggles magnify idols because idols feel faster than faith.

The Eternal Danger of Idolatry

The eternal danger of idolatry is separation from God. Revelation 21:8 says idolaters will have their part in the lake of fire. Paul warned in Galatians 5:20–21 that those who practice idolatry will not inherit God’s kingdom. Choosing self or idols today shapes eternity tomorrow.

This is why subtle idols are so deadly. They do not look dangerous, but they slowly pull hearts away from God. Left unrepented, idolatry proves where our allegiance truly lies.

Key Truth: Idolatry does not just harm life now—it threatens eternal life forever.

God’s Invitation to Destroy Idols

The good news is that God never leaves His people trapped in idolatry. He calls us to tear down idols and return to Him. His Spirit convicts, His Word exposes, and His grace restores. Even when idols have ruled for years, His mercy is greater.

Struggles that once pushed us toward idols can now push us toward God. Dependence on Him breaks every chain. The invitation is simple: stop trusting what cannot save, and return to the One who always can.

Key Truth: God calls us not just to resist idols but to destroy them and depend fully on Him.

 

 

Chapter 8 – Why Doing It On Your Own & Being Successful Can Still Be A Failure For Your Eternal Life

How Struggles Push Us Toward Self-Sufficiency

Why Being Good at Life Without God Makes Us Miss Jesus’ Sacrifice

The Danger of Doing Well Without God

Many Christians assume the greatest danger is failure. But sometimes the greater danger is success. Struggles push us to take control, and when we succeed on our own, we can convince ourselves we don’t really need God. Success without surrender is the enemy of dependence.

Life rewards self-sufficiency. Culture applauds the one who figures it out, builds wealth, and secures stability. But Jesus warned, “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” (Mark 8:36). Success in life can still mean failure in eternity if it replaces dependence on Him.

Key Truth: Success without God is failure in disguise.

Struggles Push Us to Prove Ourselves

Struggles often ignite a determination to prove we can handle life. Financial hardship motivates long hours and side hustles. Relationship pain convinces us to guard our hearts and trust no one. Ministry disappointment tempts us to “work harder” instead of leaning on God’s Spirit.

This drive looks admirable. People applaud resilience and independence. But underneath is a heart depending on self. The harder life gets, the more determined we become to succeed without God.

Key Truth: Struggles tempt us to prove ourselves instead of depend on God.

Why Doing It Yourself Feels So Attractive

Doing it yourself feels rewarding. You can point to accomplishments, trophies, and bank accounts and say, “I did this.” Struggles amplify this desire because self-sufficiency looks like the fastest escape from pain.

But this attraction is deceptive. Self-sufficiency feeds pride, blinds us to weakness, and distances us from God. It feels good to succeed, but success without surrender is the pathway to destruction.

Key Truth: Self-sufficiency feels rewarding but quietly pulls us away from God.

Biblical Examples of Self-Sufficient Failure

The Bible is filled with people who looked successful but failed eternally. The rich young ruler had wealth, status, and morality, yet walked away from Jesus because he trusted riches (Matthew 19). King Saul won battles but lost his kingdom because he trusted himself. Even Solomon, the wisest man, turned his heart to idols.

Their struggles were real—fear, desire, and pressure. But instead of leaning on God, they leaned on themselves. Their success blinded them to their need for Him, and their lives ended in tragedy.

Key Truth: Success without surrender has always led to failure before God.

Why So Many Christians Miss This Danger

Why do so many believers miss this danger? Because self-reliance is celebrated in the world and camouflaged in the church. “Good” Christians work hard, appear stable, and manage life well—but often in their own strength. Struggles are seen as challenges to conquer, not opportunities to depend.

This is why Jesus warned the church in Laodicea: “You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked” (Revelation 3:17). Self-reliance blinds us to our true condition.

Key Truth: Self-reliance convinces us we are safe when we are actually blind.

When Being Good at Life Leaves God Behind

You can be a faithful spouse, a successful worker, and a generous neighbor, and still miss God. Being “good at life” without surrender to Christ is the most tragic kind of failure. Struggles encourage this when they make us strong in self instead of weak in God.

Many people are “good” by the world’s standards but lost by heaven’s. They live clean, disciplined, and respectable lives—yet they never bow to Jesus. Struggles that should humble them only strengthen their pride.

Key Truth: Being good at life without Christ is the worst kind of failure.

How Struggles Blind Us to the Cross

When we succeed on our own, we forget the cross. We live as though Jesus died for nothing, because our daily lives prove we depend on ourselves instead of His sacrifice. Struggles become proof of our capability, not His grace.

This blindness is deadly. Salvation is by grace, not performance. Struggles that push us into self-sufficiency rob us of dependence on the cross. In the end, we can be moral, wealthy, and respected—and still miss eternal life.

Key Truth: Self-sufficiency makes us live as though the cross was unnecessary.

Modern Examples of Success Without Surrender

Examples surround us. The entrepreneur who builds a business empire but never bends the knee to Christ. The family who manages finances well but rarely prays together. The church leader who organizes brilliantly but neglects the Spirit’s guidance.

Struggles drive these successes. Pain taught them to depend on themselves. Fear taught them to control outcomes. But each victory won without God is actually defeat.

Key Truth: Every success without surrender is a hidden failure before God.

The Eternal Danger of Self-Sufficient Success

The eternal danger is clear: success without God cannot save. Jesus said, “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). That includes moral living, wealth, and human achievement. None of it counts if it leaves Christ out.

This is why Paul wrote in Philippians 3:7, “Whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.” Struggles reveal where we place our hope. If it’s in self, we may win in life but lose in eternity.

Key Truth: Self-sufficient success may impress people but cannot secure eternity.

How to Guard Against This Trap

Guarding against this trap requires humility. We must:

1. Recognize that every success is from God.
2. Practice surrender in small and large decisions.
3. Ask God to expose hidden pride.
4. View struggles as invitations to trust, not prove ourselves.

These steps are not about rejecting hard work or discipline. They are about redirecting glory. Instead of saying, “I did this,” the heart says, “God did this through me.”

Key Truth: Guarding against self-sufficiency means giving God the glory for every success.

God’s Invitation Back to Dependence

The gospel is God’s invitation to stop doing it ourselves. Jesus already lived the perfect life we could not live. He already bore the punishment we could not carry. Struggles are not meant to push us deeper into self—they are meant to drive us back to the Savior.

Even the most self-sufficient believer can return. God’s mercy is stronger than pride, and His grace is greater than success. The invitation is simple: stop relying on what you can do, and start relying on what Christ has already done.

Key Truth: God calls us to exchange self-sufficiency for Christ’s sufficiency.

 

 

Chapter 9 – The Cross We Overlook

How Struggles Lead Us to Forget the Power of Christ’s Sacrifice

Why Relying on Ourselves Denies What Jesus Already Paid For

Forgetting the Cross in the Midst of Struggles

When life feels overwhelming, our focus narrows to survival. Bills, health, relationships, or ministry pressures demand attention, and the cross fades quietly into the background. Instead of remembering that Jesus paid for our sin and secured our hope, we depend on ourselves to carry the weight.

This forgetfulness is not always intentional. It often comes through busyness, fear, or exhaustion. But the result is the same: when we choose self over God in struggles, we act as though Christ’s sacrifice was unnecessary.

Key Truth: Every time we rely on ourselves, we live as though the cross was not enough.

How Struggles Push Us to Overlook Grace

Struggles tempt us to believe that victory depends on us. We work harder, pray less, and subtly believe that God helps those who help themselves. Grace becomes background noise while effort becomes our focus.

But grace is the very foundation of the Christian life. Struggles are not overcome by self-discipline or cleverness—they are overcome by clinging to what Jesus already finished. Overlooking grace leads to exhaustion, pride, and eventual failure.

Key Truth: Struggles push us toward self-effort, but victory comes only through grace.

The Subtle Danger of Religious Performance

One of the greatest dangers is religious performance. Struggles drive many Christians not into outright rebellion, but into works-based faith. We think, “If I pray more, fast harder, or serve longer, then God will help me.”

This performance looks spiritual but is rooted in self-reliance. It denies the finished work of Christ. Paul confronted the Galatians with this same issue: “After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?” (Galatians 3:3).

Key Truth: Religious performance is self-reliance dressed in spiritual clothing.

Why So Many Do It

Why do so many believers overlook the cross in times of struggle? Because self-effort feels natural. We are conditioned to believe results come from work, not surrender. In crisis, our instincts push us toward “doing something” instead of resting in what has already been done.

Culture reinforces this mindset. The world rewards hustle, celebrates independence, and mocks weakness. Without realizing it, many Christians adopt the same values. They forget that weakness is where God’s strength is revealed.

Key Truth: Self-effort feels natural, but it blinds us to the sufficiency of the cross.

Biblical Examples of Overlooking the Cross

The Pharisees are a striking example. They lived disciplined, moral, religious lives, but they missed the Messiah standing in front of them. Their self-reliance blinded them to grace.

Even Peter stumbled in this way. He swore he would never deny Jesus, relying on his loyalty and strength. But when pressure came, he failed. Only after the resurrection did Peter learn dependence on Christ, not on himself.

Key Truth: Even religious people can overlook the cross if they rely on themselves.

The Tragedy of Self-Salvation

At its core, overlooking the cross is an attempt at self-salvation. We may never say it aloud, but our actions declare, “I can save myself.” This is the ultimate danger of self-reliance—it denies our need for a Savior.

Paul warned in Galatians 2:21, “If righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” To trust self in struggles is to declare that Christ’s death was unnecessary. It is the deepest insult to the gospel.

Key Truth: Self-salvation is the greatest tragedy—it denies the very reason Christ died.

How Struggles Blind Us to the Cross

Struggles magnify our weaknesses, but instead of leaning on God, we often try to cover them. We hide sin, mask failure, and pretend strength. In doing so, we miss the very place where the cross meets us—in our weakness.

This blindness is deadly. It convinces us we are stronger than we are. It keeps us from repentance and humility. Struggles that should lead us to the cross end up pushing us further from it.

Key Truth: Struggles blind us when we cover weakness instead of bringing it to the cross.

Modern Examples of Overlooking the Cross

This danger is alive today. A businessman builds wealth but never bows to Christ. A mother pours herself into family but neglects her soul. A pastor organizes a thriving ministry but forgets dependence on the Spirit.

Each example shows success in life but failure in eternity. Struggles drove them to rely on effort, discipline, and skill. Yet without the cross, all of it is loss.

Key Truth: Success without the cross is failure, no matter how good it looks.

The Eternal Danger of Overlooking the Cross

The eternal danger cannot be overstated. Overlooking the cross means rejecting salvation. Self-reliance is not just harmful in this life—it is damning in the next. Those who trust self will stand before God with nothing to cover their sin.

This is why Paul declared, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Galatians 6:14). Without the cross, every struggle ends in eternal loss. With the cross, even our failures are redeemed.

Key Truth: Eternity is lost when the cross is overlooked.

God’s Call Back to the Cross

The good news is that God continually calls us back. Every struggle, every weakness, every failure is an invitation to run to the cross. There, grace is abundant, mercy is new, and dependence is restored.

The cross is not only the starting point of salvation—it is the daily anchor of the Christian life. Struggles are meant to remind us that we cannot do this on our own. Christ has already done it for us.

Key Truth: Struggles are reminders that the cross is enough.

 

 

Chapter 10 – Eternal Consequences of Self-Trust

How Struggles Lead Us to Depend on Ourselves Instead of Christ

Why Choosing Self Over God Can Cost Our Eternity

Why Eternity Is at Stake

Struggles feel temporary, but the choices we make in them echo forever. Every time we choose self instead of God, we set a direction for our soul. The danger is not just missing blessings today—it is forfeiting eternal life tomorrow.

Jesus warned clearly: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father” (Matthew 7:21). Self-trust blinds us into believing we are safe when, in reality, eternity hangs in the balance.

Key Truth: Choosing self over God may feel small now, but it carries eternal consequences.

Struggles Expose Our Eternal Allegiance

Struggles reveal who or what we trust most. When pressure rises, we either lean into God’s promises or grasp for control. Those decisions, repeated over time, shape our eternal allegiance.

If we consistently trust self, money, or people, we prove where our heart truly belongs. Struggles are not neutral—they expose whether Christ is Lord or self is king. Eternity will be determined by what we consistently trusted.

Key Truth: Struggles are not just trials—they are tests of eternal allegiance.

Why So Many Overlook Eternity

Most people rarely think about eternity. Struggles keep our eyes fixed on the urgent: bills, deadlines, sickness, and responsibilities. Eternity feels distant compared to the problems right in front of us.

But this is exactly why so many do it. By focusing only on survival today, they forget salvation tomorrow. Satan’s greatest strategy is distraction—keeping people so consumed with life that they ignore their eternal soul.

Key Truth: Struggles distract us from eternity, but eternity is what matters most.

The Deception of Self-Salvation

Self-trust is ultimately self-salvation. It is the belief that we can be “good enough,” “strong enough,” or “wise enough” to make it without total dependence on Christ. Struggles reinforce this lie by convincing us that we can manage life on our own.

But Scripture is blunt: “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death” (Proverbs 14:12). What feels wise in struggle may actually be the road to destruction. Self-salvation is the greatest deception of all.

Key Truth: Self-salvation feels wise but leads to eternal death.

Biblical Warnings About Self-Trust

The Bible gives sobering examples of eternal consequences for self-trust:

• Cain brought his own offering instead of God’s way and was rejected.
• Saul trusted himself instead of God’s command and lost his kingdom.
• Judas trusted money more than Christ and ended in destruction.

Each story proves the same truth: struggles + self-trust = spiritual ruin. These warnings are preserved to wake us up. Eternity is at stake when we choose self.

Key Truth: Scripture proves that self-trust ends in loss, both now and forever.

Why Struggles Push Us Toward Eternal Danger

Struggles push us toward self because they feel unbearable. Pain makes us impatient. Fear makes us desperate. Pressure makes us reckless. In those moments, self feels faster than faith.

This is the dangerous turning point. What feels like a shortcut is actually a spiritual detour. Each time we choose self, we train our hearts away from God. Left unchecked, this path leads straight to eternal destruction.

Key Truth: Struggles are crossroads—each choice shapes our eternal future.

The False Security of Good Works

Many people try to balance self-trust with religion. They attend church, give money, and volunteer, believing these works will secure eternity. But good works without surrender are just another form of self-trust.

Paul made this clear: “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works” (Ephesians 2:8–9). Struggles that push us into works-based salvation only harden the deception.

Key Truth: Good works without surrender are self-trust in disguise.

Why So Many Christians Miss the Warning

Why do so many miss this danger? Because self-trust doesn’t look like rebellion. It looks like responsibility. It looks like discipline. It looks like success. The danger is that it feels noble while being deadly.

Struggles strengthen this lie. “I had to do it myself,” we say. “God helps those who help themselves.” But the Bible never says this. Instead, it warns that self-trust robs us of eternal life.

Key Truth: Self-trust looks noble but hides eternal danger.

The Eternal Danger of Ignoring the Cross

At the heart of the gospel is the cross. To trust self is to ignore it. Struggles tempt us to believe the cross is unnecessary—that we can bear the weight ourselves. But eternity reveals the truth: without the cross, no one will stand.

Paul declared, “If righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” (Galatians 2:21). To persist in self-trust is to declare Christ’s death meaningless. This is the most dangerous position a soul can ever be in.

Key Truth: Ignoring the cross in life guarantees judgment in eternity.

The Invitation to Eternal Life

The good news is that eternity does not have to end in tragedy. Struggles can push us to Christ instead of self. His grace is greater than our failures, His sacrifice greater than our sin. Dependence on Him secures eternity forever.

Jesus said, “Whoever comes to me I will never drive away” (John 6:37). The invitation is wide open. Every struggle can be a doorway into eternal life if it leads us to dependence on Him.

Key Truth: Every struggle is a chance to choose eternal life through Christ.

 

 

Part 3 - Returning to Full Dependence on God

The story doesn’t end in tragedy. God’s grace calls us back from self-reliance, no matter how far we’ve drifted. He never abandons His people but continually invites them to return. The path of repentance is not filled with shame but with hope and restoration.

Surrender is the doorway back into freedom. When we release the illusion of control and place our burdens into God’s hands, peace returns. What feels impossible to manage on our own becomes light in the presence of His strength. This is the life He designed us to live—fully dependent, yet completely secure.

Trust grows when we choose to believe in God’s goodness even when His ways confuse us. Faith lifts our eyes from what is seen to what is promised. Walking by faith instead of sight transforms how we handle struggles, fears, and uncertainty. It grounds us in truth when circumstances shift.

Dependence on Christ is the anchor of eternal security. Through His finished work, we are held firm both now and forever. This section points us to the joy of resting in God’s grace and living with confidence that our future is safe in Him alone.

 

Chapter 11 – God’s Grace, Mercy, & Love Calls Us Back To Him

How God’s Heart Reaches for Us in Our Struggles

Why His Love Is Greater Than Our Self-Reliance

Grace That Never Runs Out

One of the greatest lies struggles whisper is, “You’ve gone too far. God is done with you.” But Scripture teaches the opposite: God’s grace never runs dry. No matter how deep we’ve fallen into self-reliance, His love calls us back.

Grace is not just God’s tolerance of weakness. Grace is His active power to lift us up when we cannot lift ourselves. It is His constant invitation to return—not because we are worthy, but because He is faithful.

Key Truth: God’s grace never runs out, even when our failures multiply.

How Struggles Reveal Our Need for Mercy

Struggles expose our weakness. They reveal our tendency to trust self instead of God. But struggles also reveal our need for mercy. Every failure becomes a reminder that without God’s compassion, we are lost.

Mercy is God withholding the judgment we deserve. In struggles, we often choose self, sin, and shortcuts—but mercy meets us there. It does not excuse sin but covers us with forgiveness. Struggles that expose our need also highlight His mercy.

Key Truth: Struggles show our desperate need for God’s mercy.

Love That Refuses to Let Go

God’s love is relentless. Struggles may push us into self, but His love never stops pursuing us. Like the shepherd leaving ninety-nine sheep to find the one, He seeks us even when we wander.

This love is not weak or sentimental. It is fierce, unyielding, and costly. Jesus endured the cross because of love. Struggles may cause us to forget Him, but His love never forgets us.

Key Truth: God’s love is relentless, pursuing us even when we drift.

Why So Many Struggle to Believe It

Many Christians struggle to believe in God’s grace, mercy, and love because self-reliance conditions us to earn everything. Struggles reinforce the lie that love must be deserved. We imagine God is like people—quick to give up, slow to forgive.

But His nature is different. He is “compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love” (Psalm 103:8). Our struggles do not disqualify us from His love—they prove why we need it.

Key Truth: God’s love is not earned—it is given freely, even in our struggles.

Biblical Examples of Grace Calling People Back

The Bible is filled with stories of God’s grace calling people back:

• Jonah ran from God, but mercy restored him to his mission.
• David sinned grievously, but grace forgave and renewed him.
• Peter denied Christ, but love restored him to leadership.

Each of these men faced struggles that pushed them into self. Yet God’s grace and mercy pulled them back. Their stories remind us that no struggle is greater than His calling.

Key Truth: God’s grace has always been strong enough to restore the fallen.

How Struggles Can Become Turning Points

Struggles are crossroads. They can push us deeper into self, or they can break us open for God’s mercy. The difference lies in whether we surrender. Brokenness is often the doorway to grace.

In weakness, God’s strength is revealed. Struggles strip us of illusions so we can see Him clearly. What looks like defeat becomes a turning point if it drives us back to His love.

Key Truth: Struggles are turning points that can either harden or humble us.

Why Self-Trust Cannot Compete with Grace

Self-trust demands endless striving. It leaves us weary, anxious, and condemned when we fail. Grace offers the opposite: rest, forgiveness, and strength beyond our own. Struggles magnify this contrast.

Self says, “You must fix it.” Grace says, “It is finished.” Struggles reveal that self is never enough—but grace always is. This is why God continually calls us to let go of self and embrace Him.

Key Truth: Grace will always succeed where self-trust fails.

The Danger of Resisting His Love

The tragedy is that some resist His grace. Struggles push them further into pride. Instead of surrendering, they harden. They would rather cling to self than admit weakness.

This resistance is dangerous because it blinds us. It makes us believe we don’t need God’s mercy. But rejecting His grace leaves us with nothing—no forgiveness, no hope, no eternal life.

Key Truth: Resisting God’s grace is choosing self, and self cannot save.

God’s Patience in Our Wandering

Even when we resist, God is patient. He does not abandon His children quickly. Like the father of the prodigal son, He waits with open arms. His patience is not permission to sin—it is space for repentance.

Struggles often stretch this patience, but it remains. He longs for us to come home. His mercy is waiting, His love is ready, and His grace is more than enough.

Key Truth: God’s patience is an open door for repentance, not a license to remain in sin.

The Eternal Security of His Love

For those who return, His love is secure. No struggle can snatch us from His hand. No sin is too great for His forgiveness. Dependence on Him ensures eternal life.

This security is not rooted in our strength but in His faithfulness. When His grace calls us back, His mercy restores, and His love seals us forever. Struggles may threaten us, but they cannot separate us from His love (Romans 8:38–39).

Key Truth: God’s love secures eternity for all who return to Him.

 

 

Chapter 12 – Surrendering What We Cannot Control

How Struggles Reveal the Limits of Our Strength

Why Letting Go Leads Us Back Into God’s Hands

Struggles Expose Our Illusion of Control

One of the hardest lessons struggles teach is that we are not in control. We plan carefully, save wisely, and work diligently, yet a single crisis can undo it all. Struggles strip away the illusion that we are the masters of our lives.

This is often why struggles push us into self. We feel control slipping, so we grasp harder. Instead of surrendering to God, we fight to manage what cannot be managed. But every attempt at control reveals our weakness.

Key Truth: Struggles expose that control belongs to God, not us.

Why We Struggle to Let Go

Letting go feels terrifying. It means trusting God with outcomes we cannot predict. It means admitting that we are not strong enough, wise enough, or capable enough to secure our lives.

Struggles intensify this fear. The more painful the situation, the more desperate we are to control it. We forget that surrender is not defeat—it is trust. Only when we release control can God fully take charge.

Key Truth: Fear keeps us clinging to control, but surrender opens the way for God to act.

Biblical Pictures of Surrender

Scripture is full of stories of people who had to surrender:

• Abraham surrendered Isaac on the altar, trusting God’s promise.
• Moses surrendered his weakness when God called him to lead.
• Mary surrendered her reputation, saying, “May it be to me according to your word.”

Each faced struggles that pushed them beyond their strength. Each found freedom in surrender. Their lives remind us that control was never theirs—it was always God’s.

Key Truth: Surrender is the posture of faith that unlocks God’s power.

The Danger of Holding On

The danger of refusing to surrender is that control becomes an idol. We worship our plans, schedules, and abilities. Struggles that should humble us instead harden us. We try to be our own saviors.

This is why so many do it. Self feels safer than surrender. But holding on blinds us to God’s hand and blocks His grace. In the end, the idol of control always betrays us.

Key Truth: Holding on to control is idolatry that blinds us to God’s grace.

Why Struggles Push Us to Self

Struggles push us to self because they highlight what feels urgent. Bills demand to be paid, sickness demands to be healed, relationships demand to be fixed. We run to self because self feels immediate.

But this urgency is a trap. It convinces us to depend on our strength instead of God’s Spirit. What looks like responsibility is often unbelief in disguise. Struggles magnify this lie until surrender feels impossible.

Key Truth: Struggles magnify urgency, but urgency without surrender leads to unbelief.

Learning to Release Control

Releasing control is not easy, but it is necessary. It begins with confession: admitting that life is bigger than us. It continues with prayer: inviting God into what we cannot manage. It deepens with trust: believing His ways are higher than ours.

Practical steps help:

1. Begin each day by yielding plans to God.
2. Pause in struggles to ask, “Lord, what do You want?”
3. Resist the urge to manipulate outcomes.
4. Rest in His timing, even when it feels delayed.

Each act of release strengthens dependence. Each surrender invites God’s hand.

Key Truth: Release is not weakness—it is strength in God’s hands.

The Cross as the Ultimate Surrender

The greatest act of surrender was Jesus on the cross. In Gethsemane, He prayed, “Not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). He faced the greatest struggle, yet chose trust over control.

His surrender became our salvation. If the Son of God released control to the Father, how much more must we? Struggles give us the same choice: fight for control or trust God’s will. Only one leads to eternal life.

Key Truth: The cross proves that surrender is the pathway to victory.

Modern Examples of Surrender

Today, believers face the same call. A parent releases their child into God’s care. A business owner surrenders finances to God’s wisdom. A patient entrusts their health to God’s plan.

Each situation involves struggle, fear, and uncertainty. But each surrender releases peace. Modern testimonies echo biblical truth: God is faithful when His people let go.

Key Truth: Every act of surrender becomes a testimony of God’s faithfulness.

Eternal Freedom Through Surrender

The greatest danger of self-reliance is eternal loss. The greatest blessing of surrender is eternal security. By letting go of control and trusting Christ, we exchange weakness for His strength, sin for His righteousness, and fear for His peace.

Surrender does not mean an easier life. It means a freer life. It secures eternity because it rests in the finished work of Christ, not the fragile efforts of self.

Key Truth: Eternal freedom belongs only to those who surrender fully to Christ.

 

 

Chapter 13 – Learning to Trust God Again & Be God-Reliant, Not Self-Reliant

How Struggles Invite Us Back Into Dependence

Why Trust in God Restores What Self-Reliance Destroys

When Trust in God Feels Broken

Struggles have a way of shaking trust. When prayers seem unanswered and life feels heavy, we start to believe God has stepped back. Instead of depending on Him, we lean on ourselves. This is how self-reliance begins.

But trust can be rebuilt. God never abandons His children, even when they wander. The invitation is always open to learn trust again. Struggles, though painful, can become the very place where trust is restored.

Key Truth: Struggles may shake our trust, but they also open the door to rebuild it.

How Struggles Push Us Into Self

Struggles make self-reliance feel reasonable. When finances collapse, we hustle harder. When relationships break, we close off our hearts. When health fails, we scramble for solutions. Each struggle whispers, “You must fix this yourself.”

This is why so many Christians slip into self-dependence. It doesn’t look like rebellion—it looks like responsibility. But beneath the surface is unbelief: the belief that God cannot or will not come through.

Key Truth: Self-reliance often masquerades as responsibility, but it is rooted in unbelief.

The Dangers of Staying in Self-Reliance

The danger of self-reliance is that it works—temporarily. You can fix small problems, pay bills, or mend conflicts. But eventually, struggles will outgrow your strength. What began as survival becomes slavery.

Worse still, self-reliance blinds us to God. We stop praying, stop seeking, and start living as if He is irrelevant. The danger is not just exhaustion—it is separation. Self-reliance pulls us away from the very source of life.

Key Truth: Self-reliance offers short-term solutions but long-term separation from God.

Why So Many Struggle to Trust Again

Trusting God again feels risky. Struggles leave scars. We wonder, “What if He doesn’t answer this time?” Fear convinces us that self is safer. Pride whispers that control is wiser.

This is why so many stay self-reliant. They mistake God’s timing for absence. They confuse His testing with neglect. But God is not absent—He is building faith deeper than comfort.

Key Truth: Fear and pride keep us in self-reliance, but God uses struggles to rebuild deeper trust.

Biblical Examples of Learning to Trust Again

The Bible is full of men and women who had to learn trust again:

• Abraham doubted God’s promise and took matters into his own hands with Hagar, yet God restored His covenant.
• Elijah fled in despair after Mount Carmel, but God met him with a whisper.
• Peter denied Christ but was restored to lead the church.

Each struggled. Each failed. But each was invited back into trust. Their stories remind us that failure is never final with God.

Key Truth: God continually restores His people to trust, even after failure.

How to Begin Trusting God Again

Rebuilding trust begins with small steps. Trust is not a leap into the unknown—it is a daily choice to surrender. It starts with acknowledging weakness and confessing pride. It grows as we invite God back into decisions.

Practical steps include:

1. Begin the day with prayer before planning.
2. Ask God for wisdom before making choices.
3. Surrender outcomes you cannot control.
4. Thank Him for faithfulness already shown.

These habits retrain the heart. They shift reliance from self to God.

Key Truth: Trust is rebuilt one surrendered decision at a time.

Why Trust Feels Hard in Struggles

Struggles make trust hard because outcomes are uncertain. Faith requires believing without seeing. But uncertainty is the very soil where faith grows. Without it, trust would never deepen.

The danger is that we misinterpret uncertainty as abandonment. But God allows struggles not to harm us but to grow us. Trust is forged in the furnace of trial.

Key Truth: Struggles make trust hard, but they are the place where trust is truly born.

The Freedom of God-Reliance

Self-reliance enslaves. It demands more effort, more control, and more fear. God-reliance frees. It brings rest, peace, and security. Jesus invites us: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

Freedom comes not from having no struggles but from knowing God carries them. Surrender replaces fear with faith, and anxiety with assurance.

Key Truth: God-reliance replaces exhaustion with freedom and peace.

Modern Stories of Learning to Trust Again

The lessons continue today. A man loses his job and rediscovers prayer. A woman faces sickness and clings to God’s promises. A pastor burns out, then learns to depend on the Spirit instead of performance.

Each story echoes the same truth: trust can be rebuilt. Struggles that once drove people to self became the place where God drew them back.

Key Truth: Modern lives prove that trust can always be rebuilt in the furnace of struggle.

Eternal Security Through Trust

Ultimately, trust in God is not about surviving this life—it is about securing eternity. Self-reliance may carry you through temporary struggles, but it cannot save your soul. Only Christ can.

This is why learning to trust God again is urgent. Eternity depends on whether we rest in our own strength or in His finished work. Trust in self ends in death. Trust in Christ ends in life.

Key Truth: Eternal life belongs to those who choose God-reliance over self-reliance.

Chapter 14 – Being God Dependent, Not Dependent on Money Or Self, Or Any Idea or DIY, Or Skill That Can Bring Calmness

How Struggles Tempt Us to Depend on Everything Except God

Why True Security Is Found Only in His Presence

Struggles Magnify False Sources of Dependence

When life feels uncertain, we instinctively look for stability. Struggles magnify this instinct, pushing us to cling to whatever feels safe: money, self, skills, or clever ideas. These things seem dependable because they are tangible.

But none of them can provide eternal security. Struggles reveal where we turn first, and too often, it isn’t God. We chase substitutes that look strong but crumble under real pressure.

Key Truth: Struggles reveal where our dependence lies, and only dependence on God will endure.

The Temptation to Depend on Money

Money feels like the easiest substitute for God. It buys comfort, covers emergencies, and gives the illusion of control. Struggles intensify this temptation because money looks like the fastest solution.

Yet Scripture warns us: “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10). Dependence on money never satisfies. It always demands more and never secures the soul.

Key Truth: Money may solve temporary problems, but it cannot save us eternally.

The Trap of Depending on Self

Self is the most common idol. Struggles whisper, “If you don’t do it, no one will.” So we work harder, push further, and carry burdens we were never meant to carry.

But dependence on self leads only to exhaustion. Jesus declared, “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Self-reliance is a trap because it promises strength but delivers weakness.

Key Truth: Self-reliance looks strong but collapses under eternal weight.

The Allure of Ideas and DIY Solutions

In a world of endless information, ideas and DIY solutions feel like lifesavers. Struggles push us to research, strategize, and fix things ourselves. Knowledge becomes our security.

But ideas without God are empty. Proverbs 19:21 reminds us: “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” Brilliant strategies cannot replace divine guidance.

Key Truth: Human ideas may calm us for a moment, but only God’s wisdom secures us forever.

The Illusion of Skills and Calmness

Skills provide another false security. A capable person can manage crises, fix problems, and calm chaos. Struggles make skills seem like saviors. “If I’m good enough, I’ll survive,” we think.

But this is an illusion. Skills are gifts, but they are limited. A doctor cannot heal every disease, an engineer cannot fix every collapse, a leader cannot control every storm. Skills apart from God become idols.

Key Truth: Skills are blessings, but without God they become powerless illusions.

Biblical Examples of False Dependence

Scripture records sobering stories of misplaced dependence:

• Nebuchadnezzar trusted his power and was humbled like an animal.
• Israel trusted alliances and idols instead of God, leading to exile.
• The rich fool trusted wealth and lost his soul in a single night (Luke 12:20).

Each example shows the same truth: dependence on anything other than God ends in ruin. Struggles make these false dependencies attractive, but they always fail.

Key Truth: Every story of misplaced dependence proves God alone is trustworthy.

Why So Many Depend on the Wrong Things

Why do so many Christians depend on money, self, ideas, or skills? Because these things are visible. You can count money, track progress, or display ability. God’s provision, however, requires faith in what is unseen.

Struggles intensify this by making the unseen feel distant. When fear grows, faith feels fragile, and substitutes look reliable. This is why countless believers quietly lean on what they can control instead of who controls everything.

Key Truth: We choose false dependencies because they are visible, but the invisible God is our only true source.

The Eternal Danger of False Dependence

The danger is not only failure in this life—it is eternal loss. Depending on money, self, or skill is ultimately rejecting Christ. It is saying, “I can save myself.” This denial of the cross leads to judgment.

Jesus warned of those who appear capable but hear the words, “I never knew you” (Matthew 7:23). False dependence is not just unwise—it is deadly. Eternity is at stake in every choice of where we place trust.

Key Truth: False dependence is rejection of Christ, and it carries eternal consequences.

Learning to Depend on God Alone

Dependence on God is not weakness—it is faith. It means acknowledging He is the source, provider, and protector. Struggles become opportunities to learn that His grace is sufficient.

Practical steps include:

1. Pray before planning.
2. Seek Scripture before advice.
3. Give thanks before worrying.
4. Surrender outcomes instead of manipulating them.

These habits retrain the heart away from substitutes and back to God.

Key Truth: True dependence is daily surrender, not occasional desperation.

God’s Promise to the Dependent

God promises to uphold those who trust Him. “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength” (Isaiah 40:31). “Seek first his kingdom… and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). His Word is clear: those who depend on Him will never be forsaken.

Struggles may tempt us toward substitutes, but God promises presence, provision, and peace for the dependent. No amount of money, skill, or planning can offer the same.

Key Truth: God never forsakes those who place full dependence on Him.

 

 

Chapter 15 – Walking in Eternal Security Through Christ

How Dependence on God Sustains Us Through Every Struggle

Why True Rest and Safety Are Found Only in Jesus

Eternal Security, Not Temporary Safety

Struggles make us crave safety. We want assurance that bills will be paid, health will hold, and relationships will survive. These are natural desires, but they often lead us into temporary forms of security—money, self, and ability.

God offers something greater: eternal security. Through Christ, we are not only safe for today, but for eternity. No struggle can undo what He has secured. The more we depend on Him, the more we live in lasting peace.

Key Truth: True security is eternal, not temporary, and it is found only in Christ.

How Struggles Push Us to Question Security

Struggles make us question: “Am I really safe? Does God really have me?” Pain and uncertainty convince us that maybe we need to secure ourselves. That is when self-reliance takes root.

This is why so many drift into idols of control. We try to guarantee our safety by what we hold in our hands. But safety apart from Christ is fragile—it can be lost in a moment.

Key Truth: Struggles tempt us to doubt God’s security and settle for fragile substitutes.

Why Self-Security Always Fails

Self-security is an illusion. Wealth can vanish overnight. Skills can fail under pressure. Relationships can break. Health can collapse. Everything we depend on in this life is temporary.

This is why Jesus pointed us to treasure in heaven, “where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matthew 6:20). Self-security may calm us today, but it cannot secure us tomorrow—or eternity.

Key Truth: Self-security always fails because it is built on what cannot last.

The Promise of Christ’s Eternal Security

Jesus promised eternal security for all who trust Him. “My sheep listen to my voice… I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:27–28). Struggles may shake us, but His hand holds firm.

This promise is not based on our strength but on His faithfulness. Eternal security is not a feeling—it is a reality secured by the cross. When we rest in Him, we find the peace that self-reliance can never give.

Key Truth: Eternal security is unshakable because it rests in Christ, not us.

How Dependence Builds Assurance

Dependence on God is what anchors us to His promises. Every time we choose prayer over panic, faith over fear, and surrender over control, our confidence in Him grows. Struggles that once shook us now strengthen us.

This is how assurance is built. Not through perfection, but through dependence. The more we lean on Him, the more we experience His faithfulness, and the deeper our eternal assurance becomes.

Key Truth: Assurance grows when dependence replaces self-reliance.

Biblical Examples of Eternal Security

The Bible is full of people who discovered eternal security in God:

• Job lost everything but declared, “I know that my redeemer lives” (Job 19:25).
• Paul faced prison and persecution yet declared nothing could separate us from God’s love (Romans 8:38–39).
• Stephen, as he was stoned, saw Jesus standing at God’s right hand, secure even in death.

Each endured struggles that stripped away earthly security. But each found eternal assurance in God alone.

Key Truth: Eternal security is discovered when everything else is stripped away.

Why So Many Miss Eternal Security

So many miss eternal security because they settle for earthly stability. They equate a good job, good health, or good relationships with being safe. But these things can vanish in a single moment.

Struggles reveal how fragile these securities are. God uses pain to awaken us to eternal realities. He calls us to stop trusting what can be lost and start trusting the One who cannot fail.

Key Truth: Earthly stability is fragile, but eternal security in Christ never fails.

How to Walk in Eternal Security

Walking in eternal security is not complicated, but it requires intentionality:

1. Rest in the finished work of Christ. Believe He has already secured salvation.
2. Live surrendered daily. Trust God in both small and big struggles.
3. Anchor in Scripture. Fill your mind with God’s promises, not fear’s lies.
4. Rely on the Spirit. Let Him guide, comfort, and strengthen in weakness.

These habits anchor us in what is unshakable. They shift our confidence from self to Savior.

Key Truth: Eternal security is experienced daily when we walk by faith and not by sight.

The Eternal Perspective in Struggles

When we live with eternal security, struggles lose their power. Pain still hurts, but it does not define us. Loss still wounds, but it cannot destroy us. Fear still whispers, but it cannot command us.

Paul described this perspective: “Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Corinthians 4:17). Eternal perspective transforms every struggle into an opportunity for dependence.

Key Truth: Eternal perspective turns struggles into stepping stones of faith.

God’s Call Into Rest

Dependence on Christ is not just about surviving—it is about resting. Jesus promised rest to the weary and burdened. Struggles drive us into exhaustion when we depend on self, but God calls us into peace when we depend on Him.

This rest is eternal. It is not just calmness in the moment but security for the soul forever. To depend on God is to enter the rest He provides now and for eternity.

Key Truth: God’s rest is the fruit of dependence and the foundation of eternal life.

 

 

 

Bottom of Form