You Need God When Life Is Good: Three Ways to Remember Your Need
Have you ever had one of those days when everything feels like it’s running on autopilot in the best sort of way? You wake up feeling refreshed, you’re ahead of schedule, you snag a front row parking spot at the grocery store. Things are going well. But before you know it . . . you’ve drifted off into the land of self-reliance.
It doesn’t usually happen on purpose, but quietly, thoughtlessly. We slide into self-reliance not because we don’t need God, but because the comfort of the moment dulls our awareness of just how much we do.
I’ve seen this in my own life more times than I can count. I go along on my merry way, and only when I get stuck, frustrated, or reach the end of my own ideas and strength do I finally sigh and wonder why I didn’t start with prayer in the first place. The truth is, I need the Lord’s help when things are going smoothly just as much when everything feels like it’s falling apart.
Maybe you’ve experienced something similar. After all, when you’re backed into a corner with no way out (humanly speaking), it’s not difficult to turn your gaze upward and recognize that you need the Lord. But what about when you’re excelling? When things come easy? What about when life cruises along on autopilot? How can you remember your need for the Lord in those seasons?
1. By being humble.
In John 15:5, Jesus says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.”
Did you catch the end of that verse? “You can do nothing without me.” This isn’t just a helpful metaphor; it’s a deep theological reality. God is self-sustaining. We are not.
God doesn’t need us. He doesn’t need our success, our skills, our effort, or our energy. He has life in Himself. As Paul declares in Acts 17:25, “Neither is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives everyone life and breath and all things.” God is never in need. He never runs dry. He never grows tired or empty. He is the I AM, the eternally self-existent One who upholds the universe by the word of His power.
But us? We are entirely dependent beings. We are dust. We need food in our stomachs and sleep for our minds. We need the Lord for every breath, every heartbeat, every provision. Yet when life is going well, we can start to live as though we are self-sustaining too.
Humility involves us thinking rightly about God and, in turn, about ourselves. He is infinite, self-sufficient, and unchanging. We are finite, dependent, and fragile. But what grace that this all-sufficient God delights to sustain us, to use us, and to bear fruit in us.
2. By being grateful.
After recognizing the Lord’s provision in your life, the logical next step is gratitude. When we feel entitled to our blessings, when we forget that we can do nothing apart from the Lord and have nothing that doesn’t come from His hand, our hearts are prone to “forget” Him. We begin to live as though we are the source rather than the recipients of grace.
Gratitude flows from a heart that remembers its dependence. When we see God as self-sustaining and ourselves as dependent, we can’t help but be thankful. Every good thing we experience is a gift that comes from a Father who delights to give good things to His children (James 1:17).
Without His help, the only things we can drum up are the filthy rags of self-righteousness. How often we overlook the fact that our gifts, talents, and blessings are good gifts from the Lord Himself. They are given to us to enjoy—but ultimately so that we can enjoy Him and glorify Him with them.
Paul asks in 1 Corinthians 4:7, “What do you have that you didn’t receive? If, in fact, you did receive it, why do you boast as if you hadn’t received it?” When things are working, when doors are opening, when success comes without striving—a humble hearted woman turns her eyes upward. She says, “This is not my doing. This is the Lord’s kindness to me.” And that realization keeps our hearts soft and dependent, even in abundance.
3. By being reliant.
I don’t know about you, but I tend to slack off in my spiritual disciplines most when life is going smoothly. When I’m in the middle of a trial, I don’t really have to be reminded to pray or meditate on Scripture, but when everything is going well, it’s a different story. But why? It’s the spiritual equivalent of saying, “My body is healthy and I am feeling great. I think I’ll just stop eating.” Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? But often this is the very thing we’re tempted to do.
Friend, the Word of God, the presence of God, revives the soul (Psalm 19:7). We ought to rely on it for nourishment each day in the same way that we rely on food and water to sustain our physical bodies. During lighter seasons, we may not feel our need for God as acutely and our spiritual stomachs may not rumble as fiercely, but that doesn’t mean the need is not there.
Whether you are in the valley or on the mountaintop, Christ is your life. Let the spiritual disciplines tether your heart to Him.
On Days When Blessings Abound
The next time that blessings feel abundant and striving seems far away, may these rhythms of humility, gratitude, and reliance on the Lord shape you into the image of Christ. May they remind you of your great need for the Lord, and may they turn your heart and your gaze upward to Him, because without Him, you can do nothing.
Desperation will always drive you to your knees; let delight do the same today.
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