Independence.
It’s the thing most, if not all, teenagers strive to possess. Our parents try to do their part in raising us, providing for our needs and try their best not to mess up our childhood (no one parenting technique is perfect). But there comes a time whenever we step into a new season. And when the time comes, we grow out of this role of being dependent upon our parents and it must shift elsewhere.
Unfortunately, I see so many young adults transitioning this dependency onto the world and the empty promises it offers. And time, after time, the false hope they’re given fails them, leaving them lost and empty looking for the next filler.
Being dependent isn’t unhealthy, it’s our source that can become unhealthy.
Ultimately our source needs to be Jesus. In Psalm 121:2 it say “My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” That word help means to make it easier for someone, offer resources, to assist someone in a specific direction, or to improve a situation or problem. God is every single one of those things for us, in some shape or form. Not only is he able to fulfill all of those things, he wants to!
In the Bible, I love when Jesus fed the five thousand. In Matthew 14:17 after Jesus told the disciples to feed the people they said “But we only have five loaves of bread and two fish!”. His response was golden because he simply said “Bring them here.” He then proceeded to take the five loaves and two fish, (given by a little boy) look towards heaven, and blessed the food! After thanking God for the food, they broke break and ate fish, and it was ENOUGH FOR EVERYONE! I love that so much. Even Jesus had to have faith in his father to provide for him and give the people what they needed! This encourages me to always remember, no matter how small or large the number put in to my account is, Jesus is my source of provision. And He blesses the smallest amount offered!
If you’ve read the gospel of John, you may be familiar with a man named Lazarus, and his testimony of being raised from they dead when Jesus came to him. I love reading/hearing about miracles because that’s just proof of Jesus’ character and faithfulness to give us just what we need. While I’m not trying to take away from Lazarus’ miracle, I want us to focus on his sister, Martha, for the time being. In John 14:21, Martha says to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.”
Now how many times have things gone wrong, deadlines passed, and people left us and we can’t help but think, Jesus if you had only been there! You can see how even though her brother just died, Martha still acknowledged God’s power and His faithfulness. On the Race, my heart will continue to break for God’s people, I will feel lost at times, and it’s not going to be easy. But to see Martha’s response of “even now”. Even when I’m lost, and even when I can’t fix things, I know that God will give me whatever I ask/need. What an encouraging statement to keep at heart!
So to recap, in Matthew, Jesus provided the food for five thousand people. In John 11, Jesus gave fresh, new life to Lazarus. Over and over again God proves himself faithful. And without Jesus, none of those things could have happened. He was the source of multiplying the loaves and fish, and he was the source of life for Lazarus.
The wonderful thing about it, is that unlike the world, He doesn’t provide for us or give us things for personal gain. He is just a generous God who chooses daily to bless His creation with more than we deserve! We just have to humble ourselves, and give Him the reins. He is the source of all things good and light, and his name scatters all things dark.
Jesus is unbelievably good, and I pray that y’all are filled with the comfort and peace that His presence brings.
I cannot thank you enough for your prayers and support this far, and I’m so excited to continue this journey together. If you feel led to donate to my Race, you can press the donate tab at the top of the screen to give a monthly or one-time donation! Also, if you’d like to follow my journey further, you can subscribe your email to receive updates every time I post a blog!
All the love & thank yous
