For one of his “Jaywalking” segments on the Tonight Show Jay Leno asked random people to name one of the Ten Commandments. The producers were surprised when the most common response was “God helps those who help themselves.” What a discouraging result! Not only is this not one of the Ten Commandments, but it’s not even in the Bible!
I don’t think that I ever believed that it was in the Bible, but I did always view the saying as a common sense statement of personal responsibility. For example, it would be pretty crass for me to pray for money to feed my family, if I were unwillingly to work if offered a job. Or, it would be silly to expect God to give me a speedy recovery from a knee replacement, if I were unwillingly to go through physical therapy. It reminds me of a story that I used to tell my students; I usually told it one or two class periods after they had complained about the difficulty of the material or the tests. I always told it without comment. I told them that Paulette and I wanted to go on a cruise but didn’t have the money. Being a religious person I prayed about it. I prayed, “Lord, let me win the lottery.” I was nothing if not persistent, and I continued to do so every day. Finally, God answered my prayer. A deep, booming voice spoke directly to me saying, “Jim, buy a ticket.”

Tripp May, a former pastor of mine, once pointed out that some people have used the statement as justification for selfish behaviors. I think he said that Jay Gould used it to justify some of his most rapacious business dealings. I couldn’t find a quote to that effect, but I did find that he once said, “Make money – honestly if you can – but make it.” In the same vein, I once saw a bumper sticker that said, “God helps those who help themselves, so I stole this car.”

I think most people, however, have still another interpretation. It’s not explicit in the statement, but many infer that it means we should work in order to receive God’s help. This is counter to the lesson of the New Testament, where we learn that we receive God’s grace not by our works or anything we have done, but rather that it is freely given to those who repent and have faith in Him. The closest to this interpretation we find in the Bible occurs in Chapter 2 of James, verse 17 says, “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action is dead.” But even here the emphasis is on faith!

Do I think the saying has common sense value? Yes. Do I think the saying has religious value? No – at least not for me.

Read James 2:14-17, and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally.

Jim

Today’s Reading: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+2%3A14-17&version=NRSV