The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts;
so I am helped, and my heart
exults, and with
my song I give thanks to him.
- Psalm 28:7
With
only 3 items in my basket, the self-checkout line seemed like the easiest
option. I wouldn’t have to wait behind other customers, I wouldn’t have to make
small talk with a cashier, and I’d be in the car in no time.
But
when I tried to scan my last item, my plan went awry. For some reason, the
$1.50 tin of Altoids I scanned rang up as a $10 bottle of Advil. Seeing the
error, I frantically looked for a place on the touchscreen to correct the
mistake, but didn’t see any way to do so. I tried cancelling the whole
transaction and starting over, but when I scanned the Altoids tin again, I
naturally faced the same problem. While I tried to figure out what to do, a mom
with three kids wheeled her cart behind me, impatiently checking her watch.
Finally, I gave up and did what perhaps I should have done from the beginning:
I went to a cashier.
Most
people go through life the way I tried to go through the grocery store that
day, relying upon themselves even when more capable help is nearby. We’d sooner
trust our own instincts than other people’s advice. We’d rather try it our way
than follow somebody else’s strategy. Perhaps most arrogantly, we prefer to
plan instead of pray.
Scripture
consistently encourages us to lean on God instead of relying on our own understanding,
to embrace His help, comfort, and salvation. Instead of trying to defend
yourself, God can be your shield; instead of trying to muster up power, God can
be your strength. All that is needed is the humility to turn to Him.
Living
a “self-checkout” kind of life is tempting, but in feeding your pride it robs
you of support. In a do-it-yourself world, may you have the humility to turn to
the God who stands ready to help.
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