Karen 'Girl' FridayDIY Myth: Pull Yourself Up By Your Bootstraps

DIY Myth: Pull Yourself Up By Your Bootstraps

Imagine you are on a nice afternoon stroll through the countryside and you trip over a branch taking a tumble to the ground. You are alone. No problem. Firmly grab ahold of your bootstraps (only one finger fits through the loop) or laces and pull yourself to an upright position. Simple. A do-it-yourself task. You don’t need anyone to help you.

Now envision this same scenario taking place on the inside of you—deep within. The innermost part of you has fallen and you can’t get up. So go ahead. Do it. Pull yourself up by your bootstraps!

It’s an impossible feat. A complete myth. And I believe it to be a lie from the enemy. It doesn’t matter if you’ve lost your balance in body or spirit, a DIY project is not a suitable technique.

Life is too hard alone. Life’s trees have large branches bearing the weight of adversity and sorrows which eventually snap; falling as debris cluttering our path. Pesky twigs of weaker, yet obvious hardships often entangle us on the journey.

We are going on our merry way when a branch out of no where trips us up. We stumble over it in a surprised gaze wondering how we could not have seen it before. I know—all too well—about stumbling in life.

Inside tumbles. My dad dies. A job is lost. I deal with a troubled relationship. Ministry is in a difficult season. Life takes an unexpected detour.

Discouragement is not partial to a select few. Depression, stress, anxiety, and their sidekicks do not play favorites. They are not clicks or a secluded membership. But can affect each of us—no one is exempt. Things happen. Life happens. And what if you aren’t wearing boots?

Do you think Christ told people in his day to pull themselves up by their sandal straps? In reading what we know he did say, we can rest assured a DIY philosophy was not part of his message. When we look at his actions, it’s crystal clear he raised people up out of troubled situations, despair, sin, illness, and death.

We need people. People who can be Jesus with skin in despairing moments.

And we need Jesus to come to our rescue.

“If you will humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, in his good time he will lift you up. Let him have all your worries and cares, for he is always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you.” I Peter 5:6-7 (TLB)

“After you have suffered a little while, our God, who is full of kindness through Christ, will give you his eternal glory. He personally will come and pick you up, and set you firmly in place, and make you stronger than ever.” I Peter 5:10 (TLB)

Stick to DIY home projects or constructing something. We were never meant to be DIY believers. You will never see anyone pulling themselves up by their bootstraps. Enlist the aid of those who will and can help you.

Be encouraged! Christ is the best puller-up-er around!