There is a big difference between the philosophy of self-help and living in the Gospel. Compare the following:
In her “sermon”, The Battle of Attitudes, Taffi L. Dollar explains, “Your attitude is a determining factor in achieving success in life. Releasing your faith and staying in a state of expectation before God are the keys to seeing God move on your behalf. The greatest desire of the Father is for His children to be blessed. Part of being blessed is understanding the role you play in receiving that blessing. You must maintain a positive attitude.”
Mark Lauterbach of Gospel-Driven Life explains in his article Living in the Gospel in an Age of Self-Help,
Any accommodation of the Gospel to self-help is a denial of the Gospel. The Gospel is humbling because it treats us as helpless and no one likes that (What do you think I am, an invalid? I can handle it without your help.’) And when I tell people I am teaching them Christianity and all I am doing is putting Jesus name on some self-help schemes, I am preaching another Gospel.
So, what about all the practical? You do have to DO something, don’t you?
Well, yes, but there is a world of difference between dependent, humble application of the Gospel to life and self-sufficient, self-exalting self-help. If people leave my preaching confident in the rules and principles I have given them, I have preached a false Gospel. If they leave the room confident in the faithful grace and power of the Savior to work in them as they seek to obey — I have preached the Gospel.
May the Gospel dwell in us richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.