In-Dependence For All
In-Dependence For All
There’s a difference between living with independence and living within dependence. The grammar is subtle but the gravity of it couldn’t be further from subtle.
We’ve all been there. Sixteen and itching for independence. Got our first job and car. That sweet taste of freedom on our lips and a little cash in our pockets. So much knowledge in our head that we’re too smart for wisdom and have no need for guidance. At least that’s my experience.
Freedom is an interesting thing. We want it. We fight for it. We cherish it. We keep it. We give it away. We exchange it. We lose it. But ultimately, it’s been given to all humanity by God regardless of nationality or century. We have free-will, the greatest and scariest freedom of all. The free right to choose.
If you’ve lived long enough, you’ve probably made a poor choice. Maybe in a relationship. Maybe in your finances. Maybe in your business. Maybe in your fast-food lunch choices (we’ve all ran to Taco Bell then ran from Taco Bell, then Taco Bell ran through us. You know who you are). And if you live a little bit longer you’ll probably make a poor choice in the future. Maybe with your word choices. Maybe with your clothing choices. Maybe with your health choices.
The right and freedom to choose can be a tricky one. Every decision gets a vote. Every decision is a vote towards the kind of person you are and want to become. Every input choice has an output trajectory on your life. We can choose to live with independence void of God in our life, or we can choose to live within dependence on God and all He has and wants for us.
In the end, there’s really only two paths in life. You either become like God, or you become god. You either choose to become more like Christ and the new creation He has made you, or you choose to reject Him and choose to make decisions for yourself with your own morality and ultimately your own eternity.
See, the “beauty” in the fallacy of becoming god to yourself is you get to choose morality of what is right or wrong, but you also get to choose the consequences (if any) of this morality in which you chose. So, ultimately, you get to choose what happens after death. The only problem with this is… it’s still a fallacy. This is a life lived independently from the One who created and sustains it.
Proverbs 14:12 warns of this fallacy by telling us “there is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” Oh you don’t like the Old Testament? Ok, how about James 1 that says that “after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” You see, it may be fun for a season but in the end it brings destruction. Sin may be a joyride, but it’s on a dead-end road.
So we choose to live within dependence instead of with independence. All of life requires dependence on someone or something. Dependence is inescapable. Even if you live in the wilderness by yourself with no one around for a hundred miles, you’re still dependent on the land and water. You may be self-sufficient but you’re still dependent.
The examples of living within dependence on others is inexhaustible. When we are babies we are totally dependent on our parents. When in school, we are dependent on teachers to give us the knowledge that we lack. When we drive anywhere, we are dependent on other people with staying in their lanes or out of our way. Again, this inexhaustible list could go on forever.
If you don’t live within dependence you’re left with indifference. If we live our lives totally for ourselves we can very easily begin to care less about those around us… until we are totally careless about them.
Jesus was totally dependent upon the Father and even stated multiple times that everything He said or did came from the Father. That He did and said nothing without Him. And because of this, He who knew know sin became sin so that through Him we may become the righteousness of God. Jesus’ dependence on the Father led Him to the cross so that our dependence on Him can lead us to the Father. After all, Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father waiting to intercede for the believers.
Dependency isn’t important, it’s vital. It’s life. And our lives depend on our dependence upon Him. Not just for eternity, but for every moment between now and eternity. In Him we live and move and breathe and have our being.
So are you living with independence or within dependence? Well, the answer to that is… that depends…
There’s a difference between living with independence and living within dependence. The grammar is subtle but the gravity of it couldn’t be further from subtle.
We’ve all been there. Sixteen and itching for independence. Got our first job and car. That sweet taste of freedom on our lips and a little cash in our pockets. So much knowledge in our head that we’re too smart for wisdom and have no need for guidance. At least that’s my experience.
Freedom is an interesting thing. We want it. We fight for it. We cherish it. We keep it. We give it away. We exchange it. We lose it. But ultimately, it’s been given to all humanity by God regardless of nationality or century. We have free-will, the greatest and scariest freedom of all. The free right to choose.
If you’ve lived long enough, you’ve probably made a poor choice. Maybe in a relationship. Maybe in your finances. Maybe in your business. Maybe in your fast-food lunch choices (we’ve all ran to Taco Bell then ran from Taco Bell, then Taco Bell ran through us. You know who you are). And if you live a little bit longer you’ll probably make a poor choice in the future. Maybe with your word choices. Maybe with your clothing choices. Maybe with your health choices.
The right and freedom to choose can be a tricky one. Every decision gets a vote. Every decision is a vote towards the kind of person you are and want to become. Every input choice has an output trajectory on your life. We can choose to live with independence void of God in our life, or we can choose to live within dependence on God and all He has and wants for us.
In the end, there’s really only two paths in life. You either become like God, or you become god. You either choose to become more like Christ and the new creation He has made you, or you choose to reject Him and choose to make decisions for yourself with your own morality and ultimately your own eternity.
See, the “beauty” in the fallacy of becoming god to yourself is you get to choose morality of what is right or wrong, but you also get to choose the consequences (if any) of this morality in which you chose. So, ultimately, you get to choose what happens after death. The only problem with this is… it’s still a fallacy. This is a life lived independently from the One who created and sustains it.
Proverbs 14:12 warns of this fallacy by telling us “there is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” Oh you don’t like the Old Testament? Ok, how about James 1 that says that “after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” You see, it may be fun for a season but in the end it brings destruction. Sin may be a joyride, but it’s on a dead-end road.
So we choose to live within dependence instead of with independence. All of life requires dependence on someone or something. Dependence is inescapable. Even if you live in the wilderness by yourself with no one around for a hundred miles, you’re still dependent on the land and water. You may be self-sufficient but you’re still dependent.
The examples of living within dependence on others is inexhaustible. When we are babies we are totally dependent on our parents. When in school, we are dependent on teachers to give us the knowledge that we lack. When we drive anywhere, we are dependent on other people with staying in their lanes or out of our way. Again, this inexhaustible list could go on forever.
If you don’t live within dependence you’re left with indifference. If we live our lives totally for ourselves we can very easily begin to care less about those around us… until we are totally careless about them.
Jesus was totally dependent upon the Father and even stated multiple times that everything He said or did came from the Father. That He did and said nothing without Him. And because of this, He who knew know sin became sin so that through Him we may become the righteousness of God. Jesus’ dependence on the Father led Him to the cross so that our dependence on Him can lead us to the Father. After all, Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father waiting to intercede for the believers.
Dependency isn’t important, it’s vital. It’s life. And our lives depend on our dependence upon Him. Not just for eternity, but for every moment between now and eternity. In Him we live and move and breathe and have our being.
So are you living with independence or within dependence? Well, the answer to that is… that depends…
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As we mature, we come to appreciate the decisions that are made for us; especially when we know the One making the decisions. His choices are infinitely better than we could ever make. We need only to ask in humble dependence. What freedom!