If you’ve been taught to be strong and independent, the idea of needing help can be quite unappealing. After all, you should be able to handle everything on your own, right? I’ve often found myself echoing the stubborn determination of a two-year-old, insisting, “I do it myself.” Firm in my belief that I don’t need or want any help from anyone.

This mindset isn’t very Christ-like. Even Jesus relied on and called upon God, never hesitating to seek God’s favor, strength, or blessings. He prayed, studied, and took time away from others to refresh himself with God. Jesus didn’t have an “I can do it myself” attitude; he had a “we can do all things through God’s strength and provision” attitude. We are stronger when we draw on God and work together as the body of Christ. The notion of absolute independence isn’t scriptural.

Do we think Jesus was weak because he needed God’s strength? Absolutely not. Even the “strong” need God. They need God’s strength to endure, his faith to believe, and his love to serve and forgive others. After all, the very strongest and best, Christ himself, depended on God. We all need God, and needing him doesn’t make us weak.

How often do we rob ourselves of God’s provision and blessing because we’re stubbornly determined to prove we don’t need him, that we can do it all ourselves? Too often, we miss out on blessings, thinking God has called us to live our Christian life in our own strength or capacity. Lean on Jesus, and if you don’t know how to already, learn to lean on him. We are absolutely and totally dependent on God and his faithfulness, just as Jesus was. So, stop trying to be strong on your own. Stop believing you can be enough without him. Instead, hold more tightly to the source, be rooted in Christ, drawing strength from him. Lean on Jesus. We need him always, and he will never disappoint when we depend on him. Praise the Lord that we can rest, trust, and hope in him. We don’t need to prove our worth; instead, we prove his faithfulness. It truly is so sweet to trust in, rest in, and lean on Jesus.