Have you ever heard someone quote, “The Lord helps those who help themselves”? Don’t bother looking for it in the Bible because it isn’t there. It is one of many humanistic statements cloaked in religious language. As a matter of fact, scripture gives us an opposite viewpoint. Both Matthew and Luke quote Jesus as saying, “For the exalted will be humbled and the humble will be exalted.” (Matthew 23:12 & Luke 14:11) When two Gospel writers record the same quote from Jesus, you know it must have been a memorable teaching. Instead of suggesting you should grab your own blessings, Paul writes, “Right now you have plenty and can help those who are in need. Later, they will have plenty and can share with you when you need it. In this way, things will be equal.” (2 Corinthians 8:14) That has been the story of my life; give when I have and ask when I don’t.
Satan knows the Bible better than some Christians. He loves to tweak it just a little to lead us astray. When he tempted Jesus, he took scripture out of context but each time he was tempted Jesus set him straight with what scripture actually says. (Matthew 4:1-11)
Another more modern example; “Money is the root of all evil.” Those words are found in the Bible, but the words that are left out change the meaning completely. This is what scripture actually tells us; “For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.” (1 Timothy 6:10)
Any object, including money, is not good or evil in itself. In the hand of a man or woman, it can become a tool for good or evil. My wife once told me, “The internet is evil.” Of course she was referring to the porn sites and false information she knew were there. Today, I thank God that I can use the internet to share the truths of the Christian life with you and many other people around the world with this blog. There are still people using technology for evil; but more and more God is using it to bring His children closer together. Evil exists in the hearts and minds of lost souls, not in the tools they use for evil purpose.
“All scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17) Let us read and study God’s word eagerly and regularly; applying it to our daily lives with the help of the Holy Spirit within us. Then, we can recognize even the most subtle distortions and reject them just as Jesus did to overcome temptation and make the devil flee.