Danger of Self Reliance

“My do it!” were the words he repeated over and over.

I was hiking on a very challenging trail along the southwest coast of Vancouver Island. My almost three year old grandson was with me.

At least one section of the trail could possibly be described as dangerous, but it definitely was a combination of easy and difficult stretches. I carried him on some of the easier sections of our 8 kilometre hike but for some reason along this particularly dangerous section, he was determined to walk on his own.

I was very vigilant in my coaching. At times I would pick him up and lift him over difficult sections. Each time his response was, “My do it.” At one point some other hikers passed us. For some reason he was convinced that he should try to keep up with them and started going faster. I glanced behind me for a split second and when I turned back to look at him, my heart missed a beat!

My small apprentice had slipped, and was hanging over the ocean, holding onto a tree root while his feet were swinging in the air. A 5-meter drop to the water and rocks below awaited him, if he let go of that root. I grabbed his arms and lifted him to the trail.

He had no idea of the danger that he had just faced. He simply said, “Thanks, Papa.” and on he went. I, on the other hand, have relived that moment many times since!

As humbling as it might seem, we are all like a two year old in our strength, knowledge and wisdom when compared to God. Just as it is dangerous for a two year old to be on his own, even for a split second sometimes, because they just do not understand the dangers, so it is with us. Just as we don’t allow a two year old to hike a challenging trail on their own, we also were never intended to go through life without someone to watch over us. We are invited, but not forced, to journey with God.

There are areas of my life where I like to say, “My do it!” When I try to do it on my own, I miss out on God’s strength and wisdom. Here is a prayer from the writer of Psalms 139 that helps to motivate me to move from self-reliance to God dependence.

“Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I’m about; See for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong, then guide me on the road to eternal life.” Psalm 139:23-24 (The Message)

By Mike Woodard
Used by Permission

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