My family was not long on formality. To say that we were “casual” may be an understatement. Warmth of relationship and the caring of my parents is what I remember most. How we related to and treated another, whether formal or casual, is what mattered.
That was especially demonstrated in our eating together. We called our evening meal “supper” not “dinner.” When we sat down to supper, we always had a prayer before we started eating. You might label that a formality, but then Momma or Daddy would say, “Now help yourselves.” Persons would begin serving themselves from the food closest at hand and passing it on to another person. Throughout the meal, you heard, “Pass the peas,” or “Could I have some more slaw?” I’m a bit mystified as I remember that everyone finished the meal at about the same time.
My memory about all this was stirred recently (August 29) by Hank Ketcham’s Dennis the Menace. Dennis is in his room with his dog; the cookie jar is open, and Dennis has put four or five on the plate for his dog.
It must have been on Sunday. His mother came into the room, and we can only imagine what she said, but Dennis responds, “Didn’t you hear the preacher say, The Lord helps those who help themselves?””
Most readers, with Dennis, will know that proverb, believing it comes from the Bible. George Barna, a well-known Christian pollster and religious sociologist, opened one of his survey reports with this indictment, “Americans revere the Bible- but, by and large, they don’t read it. And because they don’t read it, we have become a nation of biblical illiterates.” Some of the data behind that summary is:
- Fewer than half of all adults can name the Four Gospels.
- Sixty percent of Americans can’t name even five of the ten commandments.
- Eighty-two percent believe that the proverb “God helps those who help themselves” is found in Scripture.
Dennis may have heard it wrong. I doubt if any preacher would say that. I hope the preacher would say, where human power and resources are sufficient, divine power will not be put forth.
So, I ask….is it possible to be too dependent upon God?
I know full well that the message of the Gospel is that God helps those who are helpless – not just those who are down–and-out-helpless, but like so many of us, who by the grace of God come to an awareness of an up-and-out-helplessness.
The insensitive philosophy of “pull yourself up by the bootstraps” is also too often stated. The problem with that philosophy is that there are too many who don’t have boots, so there are not straps to pull on.
Yet, I pose the question: Is it possible to be too dependent upon God? It may very well be that when and where human power is sufficient, divine power will not be put forth. That challenges each of us to see the needs around us and respond to those needs with the resources we have.