God helps those who help themselves

Although it has been commonly attributed to Benjamin Franklin, the modern English wording appears earlier in Algernon Sidney's work.

Some Christians consider the expression contrary to the biblical message of God's grace and help for the helpless, and its denunciation of greed and selfishness.

Sophocles, in his Philoctetes (c. 409 BC), wrote, "No good e'er comes of leisure purposeless; And heaven ne'er helps the men who will not act.

The phrase is spoken by Hippomenes when contemplating whether to enter a foot race against Atalanta for her hand in marriage.

In it, a wagon falls into a ravine, or in later versions becomes mired, but when its driver appeals to Hercules for help, he is told to get to work himself.

[8] Aesop is also credited with a similar fable about a man who calls on the goddess Athena for help when his ship is wrecked and is advised to try swimming first.

[14] Several passages within the Tanakh imply a predispondence for blessing amongst those who work for themselves, including: While the term does not appear verbatim in Christian scriptures, these passages are used to suggest an ethic of personal agency, and taking initiative: Reliance upon God is not mentioned, but is strongly implied in addition to helping one's self.

An Arab proverb and reported saying of the Islamic prophet Muhammad with a similar meaning is "Trust in God But Tie Your Camel".

"[15] The Chinese idiom 天道酬勤 (pinyin: tiān dào choú qín) also expresses a similar meaning, that "Heaven rewards the diligent".