Does God Help Those Who Help Themselves?

I’m sure you’ve heard the popular saying, “God helps those who help themselves.” But is it true? Can we even find it in the Bible? A Barna Group survey found that 75% of Americans think this proverb originates in God’s Word, including 68% of born-again believers. ⁽¹⁾ They will be surprised to learn that the phrase doesn’t come from the Bible, but the idea can be traced back to ancient Greece and is reflected in several Greek tragedies as well as in a fable by Aesop. 

Is there no truth to the saying whatsoever? We usually understand it to mean that God helps those who are self-reliant, strong, and hard-working. But this goes against the Biblical message. God certainly encourages hard work, but it’s never a requirement for divine assistance. As to self-reliance and strength, the opposite is actually true. The more we rely on ourselves and our own abilities, the less open we are to God’s help. The stronger we try to be in our own strength, the less we can benefit from God’s.

I can imagine a question forming in your mind: “Don’t we have any impact whatsoever on the amount of divine assistance we receive?” Of course we do! To show what the Bible teaches about obtaining God’s help, I would like to modify the saying in three important ways.

“God helps those who help themselves … by having faith.” Faith is essential to receiving anything from God, whether we’re seeking salvation or guidance in a particular situation. It’s impossible to please God without faith (Heb 11:6). Let’s say we’re asking God for wisdom. We must first believe he will answer; otherwise, our request is in vain (James 1:5-7). Therefore, if we want to receive God’s help, the best thing we can do is build up our faith. I know it’s easier said than done, but Romans 10:17 gives us a clue as to how: “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” The better we know God and his promises, the greater our faith will be.

“God helps those who help themselves … by having the right attitude.” Beyond faith, nothing affects our relationship with God more than our attitude. The warning that “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” appears in several Biblical passages. Just think, God doesn’t simply ignore those who are proud and arrogant; he actively resists them! On the other hand, humility is a direct pathway to receiving God’s grace (in other words, his help).

Being humble doesn’t mean thinking badly of oneself or being a doormat. To understand humility, we can look to Jesus, our example. He knew his worth and identity, yet he willingly served others and submitted to the Father. That’s humility. Another right attitude is gratitude. To see what happens when it’s missing, we can read about the Israelites in the desert. What continually got them into trouble with God? That’s right, complaining! Had they been more grateful, I’m sure they wouldn’t have spent forty years wandering in the wilderness.

“God helps those who help themselves … by living a righteous life.” Psalm 5:12 summarizes this truth well: “For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield.” God desires our obedience. A righteous life doesn’t save us, but it sure helps us avoid a lot of problems! And it opens the door for the Lord to help us.

Isn’t it wonderful that God desires to assist us whenever we need it! Let’s always remember that God helps those who come to Him in faith, humility, gratitude, and obedience.

⁽¹⁾ George Barna and Mark Hatch, Boiling Point: How Coming Cultural Shifts will Change Your Life. Regal Books, 2001, p. 90. From a survey taken somewhere between 1997 and 2000