The Self-Sufficiency Façade
“I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1-2
Our marriage was in trouble. I was earning six figures working full time, and felt I largely parented our toddler daughter alone. I was a mess emotionally, and probably sleep deprived. So, I told my husband I didn’t need him; I could juggle it all by myself.
But being independent also meant I was alone. And self-sufficiency was a façade I’d naively fallen for. I needed my husband like I needed oxygen. I also needed God.
But my pride blinded me to this.
I had to accept my desperate need for God’s intervention. Only He could teach me how to live and love well.
By God’s grace, we’ve been married fifteen years now and that toddler is fourteen. I found my way through my independent and self-sustaining mindset. With a humble attitude, I accepted my need for my husband and strived for our marriage to get better.
But I also sought Jesus, and thankfully, my husband turned to Him too. This journey together hasn’t made our marriage perfect, full of only joy and peace without impatience or irritations, but it united us in God and each other.
I will never not need Jesus.
My help comes from the Lord (Psalm 121:1). And even when times are good, as heirs with Christ and having the Holy Spirit, we find our joy in Him (Romans 14:17). When we seek Jesus, we flourish and can tackle the most difficult obstacles because our God is bigger than our trials.
When we think we can do all on our own, we’re leaving out the biggest Helper of all. Turn to Him and surrender today so you can be free of the stressful drive to be self-sufficient.
Kristen Terrette is passionate about storytelling and helping people take their next steps in their relationship with Jesus. She lives forty-five minutes outside of Atlanta, GA. where she served as a Children's Ministry Director for many years. With the support of her husband and two children, she now stays home writing fiction and non-fiction. She also serves on the women's leadership team at her local church and writes for Wholly Loved Ministries. To see her articles and novels, check out her website.
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Originally published Monday, 16 September 2024.
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