Independence.
It is a virtue that is highly celebrated in our society. It is an honor in self-sufficiency. For men, it is moving out and earning enough income to support yourself. For women, well ask Beyonce in her song “Independent women”.
Independence is to lean on you through any situation.
Independence, however, is not biblical. Instead, we are asked to be in dependent of Jesus.
John 15:5 teaches that we are like branches to the vine that is Christ. In Him we bear fruit, away from Him we can do nothing.
I am currently being taken through a season of trusting the Lord. He is revealing to me areas in my heart where my trust fails, areas he wants to refine my trust in him.
Something I am learning is the closeness between trust and dependence. How can I trust something yet not depend on it? Or how can I not trust something and depend on it? It seems that each go hand in hand. If I trust the Lord, then I can depend on Him. And if I depend on the Lord, then I can trust Him.
For years I thought it was all up to me. If I was going through an emotional struggle, it was up to me to overcome it. If I was going through a financial struggle, it was up to me to earn the money. If I was going through a dangerous situation, it was up to me to fight my way through it.
In all situations like that, I trusted myself. I was being independent.
I see the idea of independence vs dependence in our dog here in Guatemala, Misha.
Misha is still a puppy, but you would not know it by looking at her. She can be a rebellious dog at times, nipping at the heels of strangers as if she was herding them.
(This was her 2-3 months ago, she is now about 4x as large.)
Anyways, during rainy season, the backyard at our base has pockets of puddles caused by the water running off the roof. These puddles accumulate over dirt patches. In her independence, Misha defiantly runs outside and drinks from these mud puddles. In her mind, this is the best water. What she doesn’t know is that inside the house we have a bowl of fresh water ready for her. Nevertheless, Misha prefers to drink the mud water that she knows she can get to instead of the clean water she must depend on us to provide her.
This sounds like the story of my life. So often I choose to grab onto the things that I can do instead of depend on the Lord to provide. My fear is that the Lord won´t catch me on the other side, that his provision will be insufficient. In those moments, I´m choosing to drink the muddy waters I can reach in my independence.
I am unlearning the things the world says to learn the things Jesus says. John 3:30 says more of Him and less of me.
I need Jesus. And that´s what He wants.
Jesus has the clean water ready to give me. I have to depend that beyond the muddy waters I can reach that He will fill my bowl.
If I am going through an emotional struggle, depend on Him to carry me through. If I am going through a financial struggle, depend on Him to be my provider. If I am going through a dangerous situation, depend on Him for protection.
In all situations, now, there is peace.
