2 Corinthians 1:8 We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. 9 In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. 10 And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us.

There is a section in bookstores and podcast libraries that is labeled self-help. The amount of self-help books, self-help theories, and self-help gurus have increased at an exponential rate over the last few decades. I occasionally find myself looking over an occasional self-help book when it comes to money, fitness, and career but I have keenly aware of the limitations these books offer. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 1:8 that life brought him to a place where his own help was of no help at all. The truth is that no matter how much we improve ourselves, there are certain issues in life that will always be greater than what we can handle on our own.

God does not allow us to go through such trials to discover our weakness alone. He allows us to go through trials so that we can discover His power. God uses overwhelming situations to teach us to rely on Him rather than ourselves. This is a major overhaul in most people’s mode of operation. If you are going through an overwhelming situation, learn these principles about relying on God.

• Trouble is an opportunity to discover God to greater degree. Paul was busy about doing the will of God and yet great trouble still came to His life. The question is will you learn to trust God or live in an extremely limited life because you only depend on yourself?
• God often steps in when it seems all hope is lost. God often moves in our lives after we come to the place where we are convinced our situation is hopeless. He does this so that we recognize that He was the One who redeemed our lives, not us. Learning to rely on God in your current season will prepare you for your next season. Paul confessed that God rescued them in this occasion and will rescue them again. His confidence is not based on Biblical understanding alone but rather on personal experience of God’s saving power.

Today’s Challenge: When troubles come to your life, choose to rely on the power of God. Self-help is limited but God’s help is limitless.