After celebrating our country’s Independence Day, I’m grateful for everyone in the past who stood against injustice and especially for those who lost their lives. I’m also thankful for the freedoms and justice of our country that were founded on the morals and values in the Bible. Without the unified definitions and commitment that all people will work together following a set of moral laws, America would not have democracy.
Although Americans live in a democracy, each person must choose what personal and spiritual morals, values, and standards they will follow. If you are a disciple of Christ, will you be dependent on God or independent from Him? Will you choose God’s ways and Christ’s example, or will you choose guidelines from imperfect people, including yourself or the broken world influenced by your enemy, the devil?
Dependent or Independent?
Becoming a Christian does not exclude us from dealing with the injustices and challenges people bring about by demanding their desires, forcefully taking control, and creating means of power over others. We must remember that we are in a spiritual battle, and the enemy uses his volunteers to work through. But we must see them through God’s eyes as lost and confused people on the deadly path.
As we deal with the challenges in this world, including arguments, abuse, and wars, Christ’s disciples must remember the most significant differences between believers and nonbelievers. When we asked Jesus to be our Savior, we chose to depend on God and Jesus. We said yes to working with Jesus every day and learning how to be transformed into his likeness.
Nonbelievers are stuck in a hamster will of trying to be independent of all forces, which makes them self-reliant on their imperfectness. To help us understand the difference between being dependent and independent, let’s look at the definitions.
- Dependent: the state of relying on or needing someone or something for aid, support, reliance, confidence, and trust.
- Independent: self-governing, self-dependence, self-reliance, self-subsistence, self-sufficiency, self-supporting.
There are three big challenges of living independently of God.
- We are imperfect.
- We live on a broken earth with other imperfect people.
- We cannot escape the trials, challenges, tests, and temptations we must face throughout our life.
So, the question remains, do we choose to be independent of God and rely on our imperfect selves, or do we become dependent on the perfect God and His Son, Jesus Christ? Who is the only one who has overcome earthly challenges, temptations, death, sin, and the world?
Dependance Equals Trust
How much do you need to trust someone to place your heart, soul, and life into their hands?
How deeply would you have to know them to know that you could trust their heart, character, instruction, and promises even if things didn’t look or feel good or right?
New believers can be confused about depending on God when churches ask them to receive salvation without teaching them how to grow a personal relationship with Jesus through discipleship. They may not understand that it’s their responsibility to develop their trust in God and Jesus through a personal relationship. Their trust will grow as they learn about Jesus and surrender their minds, hearts, and lives to him through obedience.
They will see his heart, love, grace, and faithfulness. Trust takes time, and we must stand beside all believers and encourage them to know Jesus as their personal Lord, teacher, and friend. The more they trust Jesus, the more dependent they will be on his perfect wisdom, strength, discernment, morals, grace, and love. Their reliance on Christ also transforms their morals, values, and standards of life to look more like his.
The Depth of Your Dependency Parallels Your Depth of Trust
Do you believe Jesus values you so much that he died for you? Do you believe the Lord is a loving shepherd who will never leave you or forsake you? Do you trust God to do what is best concerning your life and everyone around you regardless of what it looks like, how you feel about it, what you think should happen, or how things turn out? Each believer must answer these questions to understand what level they trust and depend on God and Jesus and what they need to work on.
To help you trust the heart and character of Jesus, study God’s word. See how much grace and mercy he shows everyone. Let the Holy Spirit write the words of God in your mind, heart, and soul to deepen your relationship. The following verses have helped me when I have faced confusion, frustration, and doubt.
I spoke these verses out loud and thereby proclaimed these promises of God in my life. They help me trust and depend on the will and ways of God and release any need to control the situation or outcome. They helped me surrender and trust God no matter what because Jesus proved how much they loved me.
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters. (Psa. 23:1-2, NIV)
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. (1 Peter 5:6-7, NIV)
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Prov. 3:5, NIV)
We Must Choose
While Jesus was on the earth, he told us that no one can serve two masters, which involves choosing to be dependent on God or independent from Him. We must choose whom to trust and follow. When we choose to surrender every aspect of ourselves to the loving grace of Jesus, we allow him to do what is best in our life.
In our sinful human condition, we focus on self-preservation. The act of surrendering feels unnatural and unwise. But no person can save themselves physically or spiritually. Every person’s body will die. We are not little gods or all-powerful. So, will you choose yourself, the world, the enemy, or Jesus? What are the consequences of your decision on earth and into eternity? Will you trust God’s promises?
Nevertheless, I am continually with You; You have taken hold of my right hand. With Your counsel You will guide me, And afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth.
(Psa. 73:23-25, NIV)
