I Got This

Or (if I may channel the old Rocky & Bullwinkle show) Hold My Beer.

God wants us to live life to the full. That concept is all over the Bible. The problem is when we get a lot we begin to think we earned it. And if we earned it once, we can earn it again. “I got this. I don’t need any help.”

The “I don’t need any help” concept is repeated throughout the Bible, too. It’s a warning, though. When the Hebrews were out of Egypt and heading to the Promised Land, God warned them not to get proud of themselves.

These days Americans think the country’s military might is what makes for greatness. Those on the political Left and Right bicker about how to make the nation better. But few remember it was God who made this nation great, not by anybody’s skill or ability.

Most of those elected to leadership positions claim some kind of faith in God. I won’t debate the reality, but their actions certainly don’t prove it. That alone should tell anyone about how seriously they take their faith. God warned His people about those who would claim to belong to Him.

So what do we do? Pray for our nation and leaders. Pray for the faithful to vote according to God’s will. God said we should. Without Him we are nothing.

In ancient Israel they grew complacent. “God’s watching over us, so what could possibly happen? Anyone who attacks is going to get smacked down by God.”

Um, not so fast, folks. Many of the promises of God were contingent upon worshiping Him alone. The Israelites didn’t think bowing down to foreign gods was a big deal, but to God it was.

Think of it like cheating on your spouse. Try telling him or her, “It didn’t mean anything, so it’s no big deal.” That comparison is all over the Bible, too.

God warns us that He’s jealous. But He’s also faithful and just. The point of the book of Hosea (linked in the previous paragraph) is that the Hebrews were hanging with prostitutes, but that He would forgive them if they came back to Him.

Keep in mind that when people think they can handle things without God, they’re wrong. Time after time He sent foreign attackers to bring about a return to worshiping Him.

Next time you think, “I got this,” remember who owns the very air in your lungs.

Remember who created you.

And the beer you just told someone to hold.