Independence is a condition of a nation, country or state in which its residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government and usually sovereignty over a territory.
As a descriptor, Independence suggests that an entity or a person is not influenced or controlled by others in matters of opinion, conduct, thinking or acting in the interests of oneself. Therefore, a people in a country would not be subject to another's authority or jurisdiction, they would see themselves as autonomous and free.
People love independence. People like to live, think and act independent of any controls, restrictions or guidelines. However, independence does not necessarily mean true freedom.
In a day and age when independence is highly valued, to the extent that humanity fights wars in a quest for independence, I wonder if it's really a good thing when it comes to our relationship with God?
The word independence never occurs in the Holy Bible. Maybe that should suggest to us that there is no place in the Christian life for this word or its character. The very idea of independence seems to be synonymous with sin... rebellion towards God. After all, God did not create a poisonous tree in the garden. He simply told Adam and Eve not to partake because they were never to think of themselves as independent. Independence is Sin [rebellion] towards God.
The Ten Commandments are not restrictions to make life difficult, they are boundaries for our protection. They secure for us a relationship of dependency on God. We can act independent as Adam and Eve and suffer consequences of our rebellious attitude, or we can adjust our attitude and view God as a loving and protective provider on whom we can always depend and trust.
Something happens in the human psyche the very moment we entertain and welcome an independent thought. Think about life in the family... every child is born into a family where there is either discipline and guidelines or unrestricted chaos. Raising children without strong discipline is the first step towards fermenting the attitudes of life-long rebellion towards any form or source of authority.
Church life must be guided by strong leaders or there will be disaster. God, as the frontline of His church, ordains through His Word the very ministry of a preacher/pastor/shepherd. Biblical leaders “shepherd the flock in their care” by the leading of the Holy Spirit and the clear and precise counsel from the Word of God. (2 Timothy 3:16-17) Christians that do not follow Spirit-led shepherds can be dangerous to the well being of the body.
The world promotes independence, because the world is under the influence of Satan, God’s adversary. The cultures of the world encourage every man to be a law unto himself. Satan is the promoter and master of independence. It was born in his moment of rebellion as he sought independence from the authority of God... his creator. No person can serve Christ with an independent nature. The Lord Jesus said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24)
Some of us have trouble depending on anyone. If you pride yourself on not needing anyone, or fear trusting another person because of disappointment or betrayal, God wants to more than make up for your disappointment in someone else by showing you, in His Word, that He's the most reliable One you could ever depend on.
The Apostle Paul, who probably considered himself quite independent before he met Christ, came to understand the strength that comes through a total dependence on God when he said... God's "power is perfected in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me" 2 Corinthians 12:9.
Scripture tells us three wonderful things about the God who wants us to depend on Him:
God can be trusted with your provision. When we think of someone to depend on, we often think in terms of financial stability. God can be trusted to provide for us and meet our every need. He will be faithful to you IF you honor Him with your trust, commitment and obedience. The Apostle Paul said in Philippians 4:19 that... "My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." Jesus, Himself, knew we would be concerned about material things like food, clothing and making ends meet, and therefore He told His followers... "Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink or about your body, what you will wear...Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" (Matthew 6:25-26) That sounds like a pretty clear "Don't worry about it" assurance from the Son of God. In other words, You have a God who is in control; so don't feel that you have to be. Those are reassuring words for anyone who feels they have no one to depend on.
God can be trusted with your protection. We can invest in a top-of-the-line security system for our homes and take all sorts of precautionary measures to protect all that we have, but ultimately God is the one who protects us and keeps us safe. The Psalmist tells us: "I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety" (Psalms 4:8). And Psalms 121:2-3 assures us "My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip -- he who watches over you will not slumber." Begin today trusting God's provision and protection.
God can be trusted with your problems. We can plan out our lives, but ultimately we are vulnerable to a world filled with sin, troubles and uncertainty. Rest assured, God is in control of everything. Scripture tells us He knows the beginning, as well as the end of our days and has assigned us our "portion" and established our "delightful inheritance" (Psalms 16:5-8). God knows every event that occurs in our lives and every incident that takes us by surprise. God is so gracious that even when we take the reins and start trying to control things and we mess up, He can step in and gets us back on the right track. Psalms 37:23-24 tells us "If the Lord delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord uphold him with his hand."
We have the wonderful assurance from Scripture that God will work every bad thing, unexpected situation, mistake on our part, or tragedy on the part of someone else, and work it for good in our lives. As Romans 8:28 assures us... "We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose." We may not always understand how He can turn bad things into something good for us, but He can, He does and He will if you TRUST Him. He knows what you need and how best to meet your needs but we need trust, humility and perseverance to see the victory in all of life’s challenges.
Deuteronomy 33:26 says “…no other god is like ours – he rides across the skies to come and help us. The eternal God is our hiding place; he carries us in his arms….”
Total dependence on God is the only way to engage with this life. Independence is an elusion. There is no such characteristic because everyone of us is constantly dependent on someone or something and especially on our God for everything.
The grace of Christ can strip you of your independent disposition and fill you with delight to do the whole will of God. Whether it's protecting you, providing for you, or working out your troubles, God can be trusted to care for those who love Him. Being under authority, when it is ordained of God, is sweet and full of GodÂ’s rest.
Won't you start looking to Him as the One you can depend on?
