Today we celebrate our great Nation's independence. By "independent" we mean that the United States of America is free from outside control. We are not depending on another's authority. We associate great freedom with our independence.
In our society "dependence" has become a four letter word. We are supposed to be self-sufficient - not depending on anyone or anything. We talk, in negative terms, of dependence on drugs, cigarettes, alcohol, and co-dependence on each other. We go to counseling in order to be free from our dependence.
What if there was a form of dependence that could be liberating and life-giving? What then?
I believe that dependence on God can be liberating....
Instead of having to try to strive, and earn, and perform for the applause of God and others, I know that only Jesus was perfect. This, for me, is liberating.
Since Jesus was perfect FOR me, I can now walk in FREEDOM!
Because Jesus was perfect, I don't have to be...PRAISE!
He did it all. He paid the price. He satisfied the Law and therefore I am set free to live life to the full. I can now walk in freedom.
I also believe that dependence on God can be life-giving...
The more we depend on Him, the more we lean in and utterly rely on Him for our every breath, we find the abundant source of life that comes from abiding in Him. We, in essence, tap into His life source.
"Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you have fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15: 4-5)
A living union with Christ is absolutely necessary; without it there is NOTHING.
I believe my highest and most difficult calling is to raise my children to be independent of me, but totally dependent on their Creator. In that abiding dependence is the most liberating life source one can find.
I'll end this post with one of my favorite passages from the book entitled "Abide In Christ":
"Abiding in Him is not a work that we have to do as the condition for enjoying this salvation, but a consenting to let him do all for us, and in us, and through us. It is a work He does for us - the fruit and the power of His redeeming love. Our part is simply to yield, to trust, and to wait for what He has engaged to perform."
May you have a wonderful Independence Day while growing in dependence and reliance upon the One who loves you beyond words and wants to give you life to the full.
Be blessed...
ps.
Left on his own, this little boy who was destitute, despairing, disillusioned, hopeless, and angry, may have been a ripe recruit for extremists.
Instead, he found his way to a school supported by Redeemer Christian Foundation, Inc. and is finding love, and hope, and peace in learning about Jesus' great love for him...
Beautiful words here. I often sense the tension of walking as an independent woman, yet at the same time depending on my husband, but most importantly the Lord. I love the quote you shared. Yielding, trusting and waiting are not always easy. Blessings!
ReplyDeleteBarbie,
DeleteYielding and especially waiting aren't easy...but I find that when I do, God is able to do so much more through me than I can do on my own, independent, self.
Blessings,
Bev
Hey, let's agree to celebrate our "declaration of dependence" throughout the entire year. What a well-timed reminder that our only hope of freedom lies in becoming a bond slave to the King of Kings.
ReplyDeleteMichele,
DeleteI love this..."declaration of dependence"!! Maybe THIS should be my 4th of July commitment each year. Our freedom does truly lie in Him.
Blessings,
Bev
Why is being "dependent" frowned upon? We have this amazing God who would love noting more than for us to reach out to Him. Doesn't sound too hard until we put it into practice.
ReplyDeleteI agree that raising our children to be independent is difficult. The hardest part for me is letting go of them. The words you shared about abiding in Christ are beautiful. Reminding us that it is a work God does for us takes my breath away. Blessings on your week!
P.S. I listened to your podcast with Holly and I loved it! :)
Mary,
DeleteSo glad you listened to the podcast...thanks for taking the time!! Putting dependence into practice is so much harder than it looks. Especially when the world is screaming for us to be independent. Joining with you in seeking to abide in Christ.
Blessings to you sweet friend,
Bev
Oh so dependent more and more on His grace, His strength, His wisdom ... all that He is! I know for sure that on my own, I am sunk.
ReplyDeleteThank you for these gently powerful Scriptural reminders, Bev ...
Linda,
DeleteMaybe this is a wisdom that comes with age...I mean maturity lol. I agree...on my own I'm sunk. I was writing this to myself. Thanks for listening in!
Blessings,
Bev
Thank you for sharing this reminder of our dependence on our Creator! I loved how you said you need to raise your children to be independent from you but dependent on God. My husband and I don't have children yet, but that is a great principle to keep in mind if we ever do!
DeleteCourtney,
DeleteThis was one of the biggest challenges in parenting. All of parenting is a learning to let go. The more we let go, the more we trust have to trust our children in the hands of their Heavenly Father.
Blessings,
Bev
Some people are turned off by the idea of dependence on God, fearful that they'll lose their freedom of choice. What they don't realize is the glorious freedom they gain: freedom from guilt, fear, worry, hopelessness etc. Thank you for this reminder that dependence on God and allegiance to his kingdom is what results in the abundant life!
ReplyDeleteNancy,
DeleteI always love your insights!! Fear does drive us when we think about losing our independence. So ironic that fear keeps us from the very thing that will give us life. I think the enemy would love nothing more than to keep us clinging to our independence. Loved your comments here...
Blessings,
Bev
Thank you, Bev. You are so right: the enemy DOES try to keep us from depending on God-- the very thing that will give us life. A highly important thought to keep front and center in my mind!
DeleteI am fully dependent on HIM!!! xo
ReplyDeleteSusan,
DeletePRAISE!!! That's the sweet spot where we need to be!
Blessings,
Bev
Such a great message, Bev! Yes, our Lord is the only One that it is good and right to be dependent upon! So I will run after Him and Him alone. Thanks for this inspiring reminder and happy day-late 4th to you, my friend!
ReplyDeleteBeth,
DeleteThanks for your belated 4th greetings. I have been so bad about getting around to friends blogs...I have missed you while you've been gone. WElcome back to the blogosphere. Let's run after Him together...
Blessings,
Bev
Hi Bev,
ReplyDeleteI always enjoy a visit with you! In God's world of counter-intuitive thinking, it does seem strange to think about being dependent on God offering us more freedom, but it's so true and one of the mysteries of our journey in faith, isn't it?
Valerie,
DeleteYou are ALWAYS welcome here! God's ways are so counter-intuitive. Just one more of His mysteries. Learning, mystery by mystery, that His ways give me life!
Blessings,
Bev
I can talk about freedom in Christ, but it is much harder for me to live out. I still try to chain myself to law and lists, even though my chains are broken. Thank you for the reminder! #livefreeThursday neighbor :)
ReplyDeleteOh Kelly,
DeleteSo easy to talk the talk, but much harder to walk the walk and live it out. My natural self always drags me back to the law and legalism, but Christ came to fulfill the law and to let us walk in the freedom He so graciously sacrificed himself for. Your chains ARE broken...walk free sister!
Blessings,
Bev xx
I love this. I lived too much of my life convinced I had to be independent and was embarrassed by my neediness. I'm so grateful I can bring all of that neediness to him and I don't need to be ashamed of it one bit!
ReplyDeleteKylie,
DeleteNeediness can seem embarrassing. Why we need to put on a front for the world, I'm not sure?? We can boast in our weakness, because in it, He is strong!
Blessings,
Bev
Love that passage in John 15. I think it's something I'll niggle on my whole life left here. To abide is key, to rest, to depend and still to work out our /my salvation with all I've got. Someone said, the main responsibility of a believer is yieldedness. Gotta love that!
ReplyDeleteSue,
DeleteI love this..."the main responsibility of a believer is yieldedness." I, too, wrestle with resting and being still while working out my salvation. I think the two can coexist and aren't mutually exclusive of each other. I need to take the steps, but I need to be willing to let the Lord guide where they go...
Blessings,
Bev
Loved this post, Bev! I tried for years to live independently from God because I foolishly believed I could do it better and I wanted to be "free". You're so right - we only discover and enjoy real freedom when we lean into and depend on our Creator God! What a sense of peace and relief I felt recognizing His power and authority. To know He holds the reins and is in control - turned my life around! Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteCarrie,
DeleteI love what you say, "To know He holds the reins and is in control - turned my life around." Freedom through dependence...God's ways are so counter culture, but in the end His ways lead to life and freedom.
Blessings sweet friend,
Bev
Thank you for your reflection on true independence and freedom: dependence on God. So simple, yet we miss it, don't we?
ReplyDeleteBetsy,
DeleteYes, so simple, yet so difficult at times. So glad you stopped by!!
Blessings,
Bev