God is Self Sufficient
Acts 17:24-25
[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]“ The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.”– Acts 17:24-25[/perfectpullquote]
Self-Sufficient – “able to maintain oneself or itself without outside aid: capable of providing for one’s own needs.” Merriam-Webster
For those of you who know me, you know that I am a little bit of a “car guy.” I like looking at cars, working on cars, and driving cars, but I don’t know everything about cars. For my cars, I always like to have more power than what I “need” because you never know when I’m going to need it. One thing that every car needs is a source of power, whether it be gasoline, diesel fuel, or just plain electricity. Many car manufacturers go to great lengths to get the best fuel economy or distance out of their vehicles. They have even found a way to store the energy from braking and then use it to help get the vehicle started again. Why? Because it’s not only better for the environment, but it also allows drivers a greater distance before having to refuel or recharge their cars. Imagine a car that never ran out of fuel or battery power. What do you think that would sell for?
Our God is like that. He never needs to rest, recharge, or refuel. He never takes a break or goes on vacation to relax and get away. He is His own power source. All energy comes from Him. How cool is that? He does not need anybody for anything. Genesis 1 and 2 gives us an account of Creation. When God made the universe and everything in it, He did not need any supplies. He did not go to the local hardware store and purchase items needed to make the earth, plants, or animals. He just spoke, and it happened. When Paul was in Athens, he compared their gods with His God. Their gods were made by them, with human hands and tools. His God, however, “made the world and everything in it” and that includes their false gods.
Sometimes, we like to think that God needs us to do His work for Him here on earth, but in reality that couldn’t be further from the truth. While God does use us to accomplish His will, He doesn’t need us. He can and will use someone else to spread the gospel and make disciples if we don’t want to rely on Him for power. I think we need that reminder from time to time. The world does not revolve around us. We need God; He does not need us – “He himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.”
When we realize that we need God and not the other way around, great things can happen. When we are willing to submit to Him and not force our own way, God will use us to do way more than we could ever imagine. Life isn’t about doing God’s work our way; it’s about doing God’s work His way. Why? Because when we use God’s power instead of our own, we’ll never run out.
– Pastor David Guenin
