Believe in yourself?

Around this time of year (exam time!) you see lots of “believe in yourself” and “you can do anything” memes:

What do you make of them? A bit of harmless positivity, just trying to help young people with their exams?

But what if they actually do more harm than good? Is it really true that you can do anything if you just believe in yourself?! If I believe in myself can I fly across the Atlantic by flapping my arms?! No of course not! And we all know that, but isn’t there a danger in telling our young people that they can do anything that if they believe it, they will soon find themselves disappointed? And how does it make someone with a disability feel, to be told that if they just believe in themselves they will be able to run a marathon even though they can’t walk down the road?

The way to true happiness is not to believe that you can do anything, but to rejoice that the one who could do all things, took on limitations for your sake, so that one day you will be free of limitations. That Christ Jesus entered this broken world to die in your place for every time you have thought you could do it in your own strength rather than relying on your creator. What a burden it is to try and do it all in your own strength, you were not meant to carry such a burden.

The apostle Paul learnt this lesson, and He wrote “I can do all things through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13) – that didn’t mean he could run a 4 minute mile, or climb Everest, but that God gave him the strength to be content, whether he had plenty or little.

Next time you read “believe in yourself” perhaps you can stop and think, “I’d rather believe in the one who gives me strength for all things.”