This is (I think) one of the most unpalatable facts about Christianity. That we are here because God created us, that we are as we are because God made us that way. That we are given grace (and enabled to accept it) by God's grace and through His work we are cleansed and made acceptable. Nothing for us to be proud of, no great "self-made men". The only work we have to do is to accept, to cooperate, and to be witnesses. These works are difficult enough that we can only do them with God's help anyway. In everything we are commanded to ask God in prayer, to seek His guidance and empowering through the Holy Spirit, to accept and do His will. I wonder if this is why men seem to have more trouble with faith than women? Maybe it is harder for the self-image of a man to submit than it is for a woman.
On the other hand, there is something restful and freeing about it all. Certainly feeling responsible for everything (especially the salvation of others) is an intolerable burden. Also the fact that we fail at all our self-appointed responsibilities - if we truly were solely responsible there would be no-one to turn to when it all goes pear-shaped.
God in His heaven and all right with the world - there is a certain reassuring inevitability about that.
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