It's not about YOU, it's about God’s mercy.

Romans 9:16 says "It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy."
據 此 看 來 ， 這 不 在 乎 那 定 意 的 ， 也 不 在 乎 那 奔 跑 的 ， 只 在 乎 發 憐 憫 的 神 。

The Chinese translation says it even better - It is not about how determined you are, nor is it about how hard you've working towards your goal.  Without God's mercy, all can be futile.
It may sound uninspiring and even anti-intuitive to some, especially non-believers. But for those whose life has been touched by God, they will know what it means. 

R.B. Kuiper, once used the following to illustrate the role played by God's sovereignty and human responsibility: "I liken them to two ropes going through two holes in the ceiling and over a pulley above. If I wish to support myself by them, I must cling to them both. If I cling only to one and not the other, I go down."

A more modern and easily understandable way of saying this now is : "I'll do my best, and God will do the rest".