Believe in Yourself?

Photo courtesy of stumptuous.com

I can recall a poster that hung in my high school biology classroom.  It was a picture of a girl running--the sun was rising in the background, making the foreground dark--so you could only appreciate the  silhouette of the girl with her ponytail as she was lunging forward to take another step.  Beneath the picture were the words BELIEVE IN YOURSELF.  I remember telling my biology teacher that I did not like the poster one day, as I made my way out of the classroom (I had a good rapport with my teacher, so I suppose I felt at liberty to tell him these things!).  He asked me why I felt that way, and I do not remember exactly what I said in response.  But I do remember thinking that the poster's message was a false one.  You see, as a believer, I recognized something counterfeit about the message; I knew that our hope was not found in trusting in our own strength and abilities, but only on the Lord's. 

Now, years later, I recognize a biblical truth that I could not articulate back when I was in high school.  You see, we ought not to "believe in ourselves"...but rather DIE to ourselves.  

The Apostle Paul speaks to this truth in Philippians 3:3-11, "For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God^[b] and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— ⁴ though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: ⁵ circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; ⁶ as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law,^[c] blameless. ⁷ But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸ Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— ¹⁰ that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹ that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead." (emphasis mine)

Paul recognized that he ought not put any confidence in his flesh and his personal strength, even though he had an impeccable Jewish pedigree and moral record.  Whatever his flesh "gained" him, he counted as "rubbish" (literally translated "dung") when compared to Christ and all that the Spirit offers him in life. 

And what to do with the flesh?  Paul addressed that in Galatians 2:20, "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."  Crucify it!

And HOW do we do that?  Good thing for us, he covers that, too, in Romans 8:13, "For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live."

WE put to death the flesh...BY the Spirit.

Clear as mud?

Well, that is the mystery of sanctification, dear friend.  It is a spiritual process that we will never understand.  But it is clear in the Scriptures that both WE AND GOD have an integral part in this process of becoming more holy, more Spirit led, and more sanctified!  So don't be content to just "believe in yourself"--what a hopeless, pointless, and ultimately futile word of advice!