Where are you going spiritually? Are you moving toward isolation and self-reliance or toward greater dependence on God and others?

True confession time: I was brought up to see self-reliance as a positive quality.  Maybe you were too.

Jerry Bridges says, "We've been force-fed the doctrine of self-reliance for so long that it's embedded into the very fabric of our souls.  So we should not be surprised to discover we're self-reliant toward God, as well."

"Self-reliance toward God is a dependence on our own power. Isn't it ironic that the more God-given natural abilities we have, the more prone we are to rely on them rather than on God?"

Will Mcrae is on the World Race now. In his blog yesterday, he said it's the toughest thing he's ever done. Why? Because he's being asked to break the habit of self-reliance. "I've thought about this a lot and have come to the conclusion that deep down I feel as if people don't care. I know that this is not truth and that the people on my squad care for and love me. But I think that this is the mentality that Satan has tried to instill in me, a mentality of self-reliance. A mentality that says, 'You have to take care of your own baggage.' When in reality I'm called to give up my baggage to God."

We may not even be aware of our baggage of self-reliance, but it can be so very heavy.  Too many of us slog through life under a cloud, depressed by all we're carrying. And I say, "Give up!" You weren't meant to go through life alone, shouldering its weight.

Relying on God or others doesn't mean things will be hunky-dory, but when we encounter problems and rely on him instead of ourselves, we access his power.  Better to admit the obvious: "God is God and I am not."

Struggling with self-reliance? I recommend trying a daily declaration of dependence:

• I recognize my lack of power and ability.
• I choose to depend not on my own strength, but on almighty God.