Independence vs. In Dependence
The first week of July is special in the U.S. with our National Birthday Celebration July 4. But although the typical American will fiercely defend his/her independence, that mindset is not beneficial when it comes to a relationship with Jesus.
God expects…demands our dependence.
He isn’t a drive-through where you place your order, and He hands out everything you want. We can’t write out the life we want and just have Him sign off on it.
Not Independence: In Dependence
God wants us to live IN DEPENDENCE on Him. He wants us to drive up to the window and reach out in faith to receive what He has planned for us. He wants us to sign off on the blank page that He will fill in – in His own time.
How do we crave dependence?
1. Invest.
Invest your time and energy into building a relationship with God. How could you dare to become dependent on someone you do not know? If you sign up for my newsletter, you will receive a pdf of a bookmark on Growing Your Relationship with God. It is our relationship with Him that should be at the core of everything we do.
2. Inquire.
How much time to you spend in prayer? Have you asked God for a dependent spirit?
3. Identify
Ask God what His plans are for you, and really listen. Listen to sermons, Bible study, trusted friends and for God’s still small voice. Be open to seeing His answer in ways and places you might not expect. I once saw someone ignore what they considered “junk mail” for several months. They actually griped about how God was taking too long to answer their prayer as they tossed this junk mail in the trash. Fortunately, God found another way to get their attention, and they were able to hear and get onboard.
4. Interact
Dependence on God isn’t something that can be easily accomplished alone. God knew this about us. Hebrews 10:25 says, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another–and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hanging out with like-minded people – Christians – gives us the opportunity to learn, share and seek support.
5. Ignite
In order to allow God to run things in our life, we have to step out of the way. We have to put aside our drive to sit behind the steering wheel and set the GPS. Instead, we have to set fire to the ownership papers of our life.
The critical key to dependence is this: He must increase; I must decrease.
My art for this month will incorporate the red, white and blue of the US flag, but in a deconstructed manner. I created my own stencil for what I’m calling “wonky” stripes by using an exacto knife and 140 lb. watercolor paper. I scraped the blue on and added white stars through some star punchinella. Some washi tape on a tag. And Prismacolor and Micron markers to finish things up.
I used my thesaurus to find synonyms for each word, and it became very clear which attitude God would prefer.
What will it take for YOU to live IN a state of DEPENDENCE? You could start by joining Take Me Deeper at His Kingdom Come.
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