"Trust yourself."
"Have faith in yourself."
"Believe in yourself."
These phrases echo everywhere in today’s world, from self-help books to motivational speeches. But is this idea truly biblical? What does God say about self-reliance?
The painful truth about ourselves
Let’s take a moment to be honest. As humans, we are frail. We make plans, set goals, and envision success, yet time and time again, we fall short. Our minds can be our own worst enemy, and the opinions of others often shake our confidence.
The reality is we cannot fully trust ourselves. We are not always strong, faithful, or unwavering. Relying solely on ourselves is like building a house on shifting sand - it won’t hold (Matthew 7:24-27).
We need something greater, something eternal and unshakable. This is why we need Jesus.
Trusting God’s love over ourselves
Throughout the Gospel of John, Jesus repeatedly calls us to believe in Him:
- John 14:1 – “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.”
- John 11:25-26 – “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
- John 6:35 – “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”
- John 12:46 – “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.”
- John 7:38 – “Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”
Jesus doesn’t tell us to believe in ourselves, He calls us to believe in Him. Why? Because He is the physical manifestation of God’s unfailing love.
To believe in Jesus is to trust in God’s perfect, unchanging love. Unlike human confidence, which wavers, God’s love is steadfast and eternal.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 beautifully describes this love, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."
Trusting in Christ requires surrendering control to the One who is faithful, strong, and unfailing. Believing in Jesus liberates us from the burden of self-sufficiency. Relying on ourselves leads to frustration and disappointment. Instead of the world’s message of self-trust, the Bible calls us to find our strength in Christ.
So, instead of asking, “Do I believe in myself?” ask, “Do I believe in the One who holds all things together?” Because in Him, and Him alone, we find the strength we truly need.
