“The Lord helps those that help themselves.”
Surely if a saying has the Lord’s name in it, then it must be from the Bible. Wrong. Various versions of this statement go all the way back to Greek civilization. Euripedes penned the line in the Greek tragedy, Hippolytus. In it he wrote, “Try first thyself, and after call in God; For to the worker God himself lends aid”. Sophocles also wrote, “No good e’er comes of leisure purposeless; And heaven ne’er helps the men who will not act.”
It is interesting to note, that a similar directive appears in the Quran, Chapter 13:11. That should definitely be a red flag to you! It states: “God does not change a people’s lot unless they change what is in their hearts.”
A 17th century politician named Algernon Sydney is credited with the modern English version of this saying. Probably the main reason we are familiar with and use this phrase today, however, is because Benjamin Franklin quoted it in Poor Richard’s Almanack (that’s how it was spelled). This was published annually and was very popular in the 1700s. Norman Rockwell (1894-1978) also painted depictions from its material. The Almanack contained other sayings we still use today including “haste makes waste” and “nose to the grindstone”.
It is worth noting that Benjamin Franklin did not believe that Jesus was the Son of God, but only that He was a great teacher. Instead, he thought our greatest service to God was to serve others. So you should question his use of this old cliché.
The Bible is clear that apart from God we can’t really do anything. I need His help so desperately. So do you.
A simple Proverb to bring proper perspective:
“Those who trust in themselves are fools,
but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe.”
Proverbs 28:26