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The phrase "God helps those who help themselves" is a popular motto that emphasizes the importance of self-initiative and agency.
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The phrase originated in ancient Greece and may originally have been proverbial. It is illustrated by two of Aesop's Fables and a similar sentiment is found in ancient Greek drama. Although it has been commonly attributed to Benjamin Franklin, the modern English wording appears earlier in Algernon Sidney's work.
The phrase is often mistaken as a scriptural quote, but is not stated verbatim in the Bible. However, there are many verses which underscore believers' duties to work both for themselves and their families, such as Proverbs 6:10-11, 12:11, 12:24, 13:4, and I Timothy 5:8.
Some Christians have criticized the expression as being contrary to the Bible's message of God's grace. A variant of the phrase can also be found in the Quran (13:11).
Origin
The sentiment appears in ancient Greek tragedies of which only fragments now remain. In his Philoctetes (c.409 BC), Sophocles wrote, "No good e'er comes of leisure purposeless; And heaven ne’er helps the men who will not act." And in the Hippolytus (428BC) of Euripides appears the speech, "Try first thyself, and after call in God; For to the worker God himself lends aid."
A similar version of this saying "God himself helps those who dare" better translated as "divinity helps those who dare" "audentes deus ipse iuuat" comes from Ovid, Metamorphoses, 10.586. The phrase is spoken by Hippomenes when contemplating whether to enter a foot race against Atalanta for her hand in marriage. If Hippomenes were to lose, however, he would be killed. Hippomense decides to challenge Atalanta to a race and, with the aid of Venus, Hippomense was able to win the race.
The same concept is found in the fable of Hercules and the Wagoner, first recorded by Babrius in the 1st century AD. In it, a wagon falls into a ravine, or in later versions becomes mired, but when its driver appeals to Hercules for help, he is told to get to work himself. Aesop is also credited with a similar fable about a man who calls on the goddess Athena for help when his ship is wrecked and is advised to try swimming first. It has been conjectured that both stories were created to illustrate an already existing proverb.
The French author Jean de La Fontaine also adapted the first of these fables as Le chartier embourbé (Fables VI.18) and draws the moral Aide-toi, le ciel t'aidera. (Help yourself and Heaven will help you too). A little earlier, George Herbert had included "Help thyself, and God will help thee" in his proverb collection, Jacula Prudentum (1651). But it was the English political theorist Algernon Sidney who originated the now familiar wording, "God helps those who help themselves", apparently the first exact rendering of the phrase. Benjamin Franklin later used it in his Poor Richard's Almanack (1736) and has been widely quoted.
Islamic Texts
A passage with similar sentiments can be found in the Quran,
Indeed Allah will not change the conditions of a population until they change what is in themselves.
Qur'an 13:11
Other historic uses
Prevalence and assessment
The phrase is often quoted to emphasize the importance of taking initiative. There is also a relationship to the Parable of the Faithful Servant, and the Parable of the Ten Virgins, which has a similar eschatological theme: be prepared for the day of reckoning.
The argument has been made that this is a non-Biblical concept despite scriptural authorities including those cited above.
The Concept as Biblical (disputed):
All statements in this article as to the Biblical vs. non-Biblical nature of this proposition should be considered both in light of these scriptural authorities and potential for bias in counter-argument (See below, i.e. O'Reilly v. Colbert, Barna's claims re: Americans' "unfamiliarity with the Bible" given that these scriptures clearly suggest an ethic of self-reliance).
Colossians 3:23 - Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.
Proverbs 6:10-12 - A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.
Proverbs 12:11 - He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment.
Proverbs 12:24 - Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in slave labor.
Proverbs 13:4 - The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.
Matthew 5:3-4 - God blesses those who realize their need for him; and who mourn will be comforted.
I Timothy 5:8 - If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
NOTE: Reliance upon God is not mentioned, but may or may not be implied.
The Concept as Non-Biblical (disputed):
The beliefs of Americans regarding this phrase and the Bible has been studied by Christian demographer and pollster George Barna of The Barna Group. To the statement "The Bible teaches that God helps those who help themselves"; 53% of Americans agree strongly, 22% agree somewhat, 7% disagree somewhat, 14% disagree strongly, and 5% stated they don't know. Of "born-again" Christians 68% agreed, and 81% of non "born-again" Christians agreed with the statement. In a February 2000 poll, 53% strongly agreed and 22% agreed somewhat that the Bible teaches the phrase. Of the 14 questions asked, this was the least biblical response, according to Barna. A poll in the late 1990s showed the majority (81%) believe the concept is taught by the Bible, another stating 82%.
Despite being of non-Biblical origin, the phrase topped a poll of the most widely known Bible verses. Seventy-five percent of American teenagers said they believed that it was the central message of the Bible.
Barna critiques this as evidence of Americans' unfamiliarity with the Bible and believes that the statement actually conflicts with the doctrine of Grace in Christianity. It "suggests a spiritual self-reliance inconsistent with Christianity" according to David Kinnaman, vice president of the Barna Research Group. Christian minister Erwin Lutzer argues there is some support for this saying in the Bible (2 Thessalonians 3:10, James 4:8), however much more often God helps those who cannot help themselves, which is what grace is about (the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican, Ephesians 2:4–5, Romans 4:4–5). The statement is often criticised as espousing Semi-Pelagian model of salvation, which most Christians denounce as heresy.
The bottom line then is there is debated Biblical support for the modified expression: God helps those who helps themselves to the extent that their motive aligns with His divine Will. Otherwise, it's just a person helping themselves, without a reference of whether a god sanctions it or not as being His Will.
In popular culture
The phrase has featured in United States popular culture. In a "Jaywalking" sketch on The Tonight Show, comedian host Jay Leno asked random people on the street to name one of the Ten Commandments. The most popular response given was "God helps those who help themselves." Political commentator Bill O'Reilly employed the phrase, in responding to Jim McDermott who argued, "This is Christmas time. We talk about Good Samaritans, the poor, the little baby Jesus in the cradle and all this stuff. And then we say to the unemployed we won't give you a check to feed your family. That's simply wrong." O'Reilly argued for a more selective approach to unemployment benefits, and the importance of individual responsibility, concluding "while Jesus promoted charity at the highest level, he was not self-destructive. The Lord helps those who help themselves. Does he not?" Political comedian Stephen Colbert parodied him in response, concluding in character, "if this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn't help the poor, either we've got to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we've got to acknowledge that he commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition; and then admit that we just don't want to do it."