Are you “self-made” or “God-made”? I just recently learn of the old saying “Self-made, dues paid.” I had never heard of that saying and it inspired me to write this blog for you. The saying means that you are successful because of all your hard work. It means you have paid your dues and earned your reward. The formal definition of this saying is “rich and successful as a result of your own work, and not because of money from your family.”
It is commendable when a person works hard to earn their success. However, I encourage you to view this statement from God’s point of view. Additionally, it feels great to say, “I paid my dues.” But consider that all your dues were paid by someone else—Jesus. Let me explain.
When we say we are “self-made,” that implies that no one else helped us—not even God. In our lives, there are always people who helped us arrive at where we are now. And be assured that your talents and ability to create wealth came from your creator, God. You didn’t choose your talents. God did.
Romans 12:6-8 (NLT) says that God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out when you have faith that God is speaking through you. If your gift is that of serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, do a good job of teaching. If your gift is to encourage others, do it! If you have money, share it generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.
As you can see, God gave talents and abilities to all people. Our part is to use them to help others. In addition, it is He who gave us the power to get wealth. Deuteronomy 8:18 (KJV) reminds us, But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.
God wants us to know He gave us the talents plus the power to get wealth to begin with. So, are you self-made or God-made? I am definitely “God-made.” There is another saying that goes “give credit where credit is due.” Therefore, God deserves all the recognition and glory instead of me and I choose to give Him all the credit.
The other part of the saying is “dues paid.” Paying your dues in your career means you start at the bottom and climb the ladder of success. It means you prepared yourself in many ways including investing time and resources in your education. You also probably worked longer hours than others and took risks beyond what some consider normal. But what about paying your dues for your sins? How do you pay for that? You can’t. Jesus did it for you and for me when He died on the cross for our sins. That’s when He paid our dues. And we can never repay Him back. The only thing we can do is accept His amazing gift of salvation.
Allow me to share how Jesus paid our dues. It’s described in detail in Isaiah 53 (I encourage you to read the entire chapter):
3 He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.
We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.
He was despised, and we did not care.
4 Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down.
And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins!
5 But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.
6 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.
7 He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word.
He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers,
he did not open his mouth. 8 Unjustly condemned, he was led away.
No one cared that he died without descendants, that his life was cut short in midstream.
But he was struck down for the rebellion of my people.
9 He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone.
But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man’s grave.
10 But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief.
Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants.
He will enjoy a long life, and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands.
11 When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied.
And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible
for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins.
12 I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier, because he exposed himself to death.
He was counted among the rebels. He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.
So, are you self-made or God-made? Have you paid your dues or has Jesus paid your dues?
I will leave you to reflect on these deep concepts. Thank Jesus for what He did for each of us…