“God helps those who help themselves…”

Growing up in a Catholic home, this one phrase was used often, while at the time, I had no clue what it meant or where it came from.  What does it mean, and where is it in scripture?  It left me shaking my head, trying to wrap my brain around this.  It was not until the past seven years, I found that not only is it not scripture based, it was first attributed to an English Protestant, Algernon Sidney (January 1623 – December 1683).  He came up with the phrase in his, “Discourses Concerning Government.”  Later Benjamin Franklin was quoted (Poor Richards Almanac 1757) as saying it and some attribute the phrase to him.  Benjamin Franklin was a Deist as opposed to Algernon Sidney.  Benjamin Franklin did not attribute God to being involved in the day-to-day existence of the world, hence he did not believe in the Virgin Birth nor in any miracles accounted in scriptures. 

As the United States of America was founded on Protestant Doctrine and not Catholic, it is easy to see how and why mainstream America would pick up the phrase and use it.  As Protestants do not accept, nor like the idea of suffering- believing in “Sola Scriptura and Sola Fide.” (one is saved by scripture and faith alone).  Protestants do not accept the idea of poverty and suffering for and with Christ; as if we are all called to be happy and have a warm fuzzy feeling from the inside out, as we follow Christ.  Further, they believe that the journey with God is meant to be fun and make us happy, as Christ suffered and died once-and-for-all, so we do not have to nor should we.  As the phrase, “God helps those that help themselves,” God wants all of us to be happy, joyful all the time and God will help us obtain happiness, and to have and want such a life.  We should not suffer or experience the pain and anguish of life in a fallen world.  Therefore, when we are happy, do what makes us happy, and feel good, God is helping us obtain that happiness.  Hence, we are to help ourselves obtain what God deems we should have- according to our own feelings, thoughts and actions, which drives us to be happy.    

As a devout Catholic with a mixture of Franciscan and Carmelite spirituality; spending some years discerning the priesthood, I came across scipture passages that would seem contrary.  In addition, examples of lives of various people throughout the history of the Church (deemed saints), whom God led, guiding, completely and directly in their lives.  While, it is not necessary for one to accept and follow any private revelation of saints in order to remain in the parameters of the Church, it is by the manifestation of the fruits of such lives that one is able to see the hand of God in such people, and by their examples can lead or point us to Christ.

On the issue of Eternal Salvation, there are a few examples of scripture that would seem to oppose the idea of the phrase, “God helps those whom help themselves.”  Which I assert, as we are created in the image and likeness of God, created by Him and for a specific purpose, to do His will.  If we accept that, He created us and through/with/in Him, we can obtain Eternal Salvation as our end goal.  We must and should always strive to obtain that end goal, doing His will on this earth.

(Isaiah 25:4) ⁴ For you have been a refuge for the weak, a refuge for the needy in distress, a shelter from the storm, shade from the heat; for the breath of the pitiless is like a winter storm.

 (Isaiah 64:6) ⁶ There is no one to invoke your name, to rouse himself to hold fast to you, for you have hidden your face from us and given us up to the power of our misdeeds.

(Rom 5:6) ⁶ When we were still helpless, at the appointed time, Christ died for the godless.

(Rom 3:23) ²³ No distinction is made: all have sinned and lack God's glory,

(Rom 6:23) ²³ For the wage paid by sin is death; the gift freely given by God is eternal life in Chris t Jesus our Lord.

(Rom 5:8) ⁸ So it is proof of God's own love for us, that Christ died for us while we were still sinners

(II Cor 5:21) ²¹ so that as sin's reign brought death, so grace was to rule through saving justice that leads to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

(Matt 19:24-26) ²⁴ Yes, I tell you again, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for someone rich to enter the kingdom of Heaven.'   ²⁵ When the disciples heard this they were astonished. 'Who can be saved, then?' they said.  ²⁶ Jesus gazed at them. 'By human resources', he told them, 'this is impossible; for God everything is possible.' 

One can assert from the phrase, “God helps those who help themselves,” is to state that we must take action on a daily basis on the specific path in our daily lives.  While at the same time, looking at the book of Exodus it would seem God does provide in literal ways.

(Ex 16:12-15) ¹² 'I have heard the Israelites' complaints. Speak to them as follows, "At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will have bread to your heart's content, and then you will know that I am Yahweh your God." ' ¹³ That evening, quails flew in and covered the camp, and next morning there was a layer of dew all round the camp. ¹⁴ When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the desert was something fine and granular, as fine as hoarfrost on the ground.  ¹⁵ As soon as the Israelites saw this, they said to one another, 'What is that?' not knowing what it was. 'That', Moses told them, 'is the food which Yahweh has given you to eat.

Furthermore, are examples of the writings of saints that led lives, which one can clearly see them as lights pointing us to Christ.

St. Faustina Kowalska,

“The Diary of Saint Maira Faustina Kowalska.”

  

#295

At that moment Jesus asked me, My child, how is your retreat gong?  I answered, “But Jesus You know how it is going.”  Yes, I know, but I want to hear it from your own lips and from your heart.  “O my Master, when You are leading me, everything goes smoothly, and I ask You, Lord, to never leave my side.”  And Jesus, Yes, I will be with you always, if you always remain a little child and fear nothing.  As I was your beginning here, so I will also be your end.  Do not rely on creatures, even in the smallest things, because this displeases Me.  I want to be alone in your soul.  I will give light and strength to your soul, and you will learn from My representative (priests) that I am in you, and your uncertainty will vanish like mist before the rays of the sun.

 #622

When I entered the chapel for a moment that same evening, to thank God for all the graces He had bestowed upon me in this house, suddenly God’s presence enveloped me.  I felt like a child in the hands of the best of fathers, and I heard these words: Do not fear anything.  I am always with you.  His love penetrated my whole being.  I felt I was entering into such close intimacy with Him that I cannot find words to express it.

#718

After Holy Communion, I heard these words: - You see what you are of yourself, but do not be frightened at this.  If I were to reveal to you the whole misery that you are, you would die of terror.  However, be aware of what you are.  Because you are such great misery, I have revealed to you the whole ocean of My mercy.  I seek and desire souls like yours, but they are few.  Your great trust in Me forces Me to continuously grant you graces.  You have great and incomprehensible rights over my heart, for you are a daughter of complete trust.  You would not have been able to bear the magnitude of the love, which I have, for you if I had revealed it to you fully here on earth.  I often give you a glimpse of it, but know that this is only and exceptional grace from Me.  My love and mercy know no bounds.

#732

Today, I heard these words: The graces I grant you are not for you alone, but for a great number of other souls as well…And your heart is My constant dwelling place, despite the misery that you are.  I united Myself with you, to take away your misery and give you My mercy.  I perform works of mercy in every soul.  The greater the sinner, the greater the right he has to My mercy.  My mercy is confirmed in every world of My hands.  He who trusts in My mercy will not perish, for all his affairs are Mine, and his enemies will be shattered at the base of My footstool.

St. Catherine of Siena (Doctor of The Church)

“The Dialogue – The Treatise of Divine Providence.”

“Open the eye of your intellect, and gaze into Me, and you shall see the beauty of My rational creature. And look at those creatures who, among the beauties which I have given to the soul, creating her in My image and similitude, are clothed with the nuptial garment (that is, the garment of love), adorned with many virtues, by which they are united with Me through love. And yet I tell you, if you should ask Me, who these are, I should reply” (said the sweet and amorous Word of God) “they are another Myself, inasmuch as they have lost and denied their own will, and are clothed with Mine, are united to Mine, are conformed to Mine.” It is therefore true, indeed, that the soul unites herself with God by the affection of love.

St. Catherine of Siena and St. Faustina both had to take the necessary actions (daily mass and receiving the sacraments) in order to see and find God and His will more clearly.  However, in both instances God revealed Himself to them in order to show them, what was asked of them.  They simply followed as He led them, through/in/with prayer, and the sacraments in and of the Church.  Clearly, we are not called to sleep 24/7 and do nothing when we have a husband/wife and children.  We cannot simply quit a marriage because it is not something we do not want at that moment in our lives.  We all have the obligation to walk the path in life to which we have chosen or that God calls us to walk.  As we are called to do God’s will and follow such, we have to take the necessary actions and/or steps to do such.  We must first seek God’s will and then allow Him to lead and guide us, graced with the freewill to do so.  By doing such we should strive to give ourselves completely to God; in body, mind, and soul- without fear, anxiety, or confusion, and not by striving to help ourselves to what makes us happy, in and of ourselves.  Perhaps a better phrase, "There is a time to pray and a time to act, when it is time to pray it is not time to act, and when it is time to act, it is not time to pray.”