Should Christians Be Self Sufficient? With Guest Co-Host Matt May

03/09/21 • 47 min

As believers, we know we are created in God’s likeness and as such are called to reflect his image. But that isn’t always what we really want to do, is it?
Unlike Jesus, we struggle to forgive and extend grace. We aren't curious to go have a meal with someone different than us. We don’t want to be selfless and our work to go unnoticed and we don’t like it when our love for others to come with a cost.

Instead - since we are being honest with ourselves - we simply want to be God. We want to be the one in control and not need anyone or anything.

Matt May joins Robin on this episode and we explore the ways this desire for self sufficiency shows up in our lives and in doing so, how it actually keeps us from experiencing the joy of relationship with God and those around us. As always, Matt’s insight is profound and he’s beautifully transparent about how his cancer taught him the value of interdependence.

SHOW NOTES:
Co-host: Matt May, son of co-host Robin and two-time cancer survivor. Matt holds an English degree from Truman State University and is currently pursuing a Masters of Education degree. For more on Matt's story, visit www.RobinMayMinistries.com. or on Facebook.

Conversation based on Chapter 4 of the book None Like Him: 10 Ways God is Different From Us (and why That's a Good Thing) by Jen Wilkin
7:00 Is independence the same as self-sufficiency? How are they connected?
9:00 God needs nothing from us. Why is this a good thing?
13:30 Listen here for the connection between asking for help and experiencing whole living.
18:30 Are you making this life-giving activity a priority in your life?
23:00 Matt admits he didn't want everyone to know he was a cancer survivor and this is why.
25:00 The lie the world tells us about doing life alone.
30:00 Each one of us have this special thing. Are you curious enough to find it and learn from it?
31:30 Do you find yourself consistently anxious and overwhelmed? Listen here for important, practical wisdom about how to overcome it.
34:00 Listen here for why Matt calls his cancer a "saving grace."
38:00 Are you waking up and asking God this question?
41:00 Matt hasn't ever been angry about getting cancer. But he was angry with God about this thing and the experience changed him to see "I am not on my own in my pain."
46:00 How is Matt's health as he's passing his four-year cancer anniversary?

Instead - since we are being honest with ourselves - we simply want to be God. We want to be the one in control and not need anyone or anything.

Previous Episode

Are You Lonely?

One out of every three people who reads this considers themselves to be lonely on a regular basis. That means one out of every three people you interact with today struggles with loneliness.
The reality is that even if you’re not lonely, many people around you are. What’s more is that the subgroup who is most likely to be lonely is the one that is often seen as the most connected.
In this episode, we tackle the difference between isolation and loneliness, discuss the age group with the highest rate of loneliness and offer practical advice for making the world a kinder, less lonely place.
SHOW NOTES
Young Adults Hardest Hit by Loneliness During Pandemic
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2021/02/young-adults-teens-loneliness-mental-health-coronavirus-covid-pandemic/
Social Distance Makes the Heart Grow Fonder
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2020/05/how-to-ease-loneliness-and-feel-more-connected/
Loneliness Quiz:
https://www.oprah.com/omagazine/the-loneliness-quiz_1
https://www.oprah.com/relationships/how-to-help-a-lonely-friend_1/all

Next Episode

3 Things Confident Women DON'T Do

Helen Keller once said that nothing can be accomplished without hope and confidence.
Confidence doesn't just help us believe in ourselves, it helps others believe in us as well. As we strive to make a greater impact in our workplaces, communities and families, how do we build our confidence? Is it even possible? If so, how?
In this episode, we offer three things confident women don't do - giving a practical picture of what confidence looks and sounds like.
SHOW NOTES
Does confidence come natural to you?
2:30 Do you find yourself doing this? Sorry. Not Sorry.
5:00 Rachel gives an example of apologizing for her feelings. Do you identify with her story?
7:30 If you struggle with this, here's a way to help overcome it.
9:00 Confident women don’t do this second thing.