Dependent and Interdependent

I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion;
   therefore I will wait for him.”

 The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,
   to the one who seeks him;
it is good to wait quietly
   for the salvation of the LORD.

Lamentations 3:24-26

I'm as American as they come.  My husband served 24 years in the US Army, and I was proud of his service to our country and gladly endured long deployments to hostile areas for the sake of freedom.  When I hear the National Anthem played, I always get choked up when I hear, ". . . our flag was still there, " thinking of the resilience, determination and thirst for freedom of my forerunners.  I love this country.

But growing up American, I have many times worshipped at the altar of independence.  I celebrate those who are able to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps, who dig themselves out of homelessness or bankruptcy, or who climb out of the slums and rise to great success.  One of this countries most popular finance motivational speakers, Suze Orman, said, "A big part of financial freedom is having your heart and mind free from worry about the what-ifs of life."

The problem with this spirit of independence the American way has bred, is that I forsake my calling as a child of God to be fully dependent on Him to supply all my needs.  As a follower of Christ, it is dangerous to be American, for her values run counter to those of God's Kingdom.

Dependence on God 

When I think of my relationship with God, I like to imagine I am a rich young girl who is confident that her every need will be met by her wealthy daddy.  She does not wont for anything, and she never worries because she knows she need only mention it to her father, and he will gladly give her what she has asked for.  He shows his love for her in this way, and she is secure in that love.

Many times, though, I am like the typical American, and I think of a back up plan in case God doesn't come through.  I am not intentionally turning away from God, or thinking that He won't provide, but it is in my nature to analyze a situation and come up with solutions.  If God does not immediately provide, I assume I need to step in and act, using my resources to supply my own need.

Jesus taught about the generous nature of God.  “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?  If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" (Matthew 7:9-11)

Because of His great love for me, He will not fail to give me the good things that I ask for.  The thing is, God is in control of the timing of the gift, and the nature of the gift.  If I don't want to wait and give God a chance to provide, I will never find out how to be dependent on my Father in heaven.

Interdependence of the Body of Christ

It is not in my nature as an American to depend on anyone else for anything.  I take pride in the fact that I can do for myself and many times don't want to put anyone out, bothering them with my problems.

But God wants us to rely on each other as believers.  Just as the whole of creation is interdependent with each other, so His body is designed to work together.  Take, for example, bees and flowers.  They need each other to survive!  The bees need the flowers as a source of food, and the flowers need the bees to facilitate pollination necessary for reproduction by carrying pollen to other flowers as they feed.  God designed all of nature to work together in such a way.

It's no surprise, then, as part of God's creation, that He expects us to rely on each other.  "The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. . .there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.  If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it." (I Corinthians 12:12, 25-26)

When I take care of matters myself instead of relying on my brothers and sisters in Christ, I am denying their position and function in the Body, instead trying to fulfill the purpose of each part myself.  This is the most challenging thing for me as an American.  I have been raised to rely on myself and to not bother others with my problems.  But the Bible teaches that we are stronger together.

If I never give the other parts of the Body of Christ a chance to help me, I will never find out how to be interdependent along with my family.

As I begin this day, it is my prayer that I will learn to think of myself as a follower of Christ first, and an American second.

 

When do I rely on my own resources instead of turning to Him who owns the cattle on a thousand hills?

 

How can I better rely on my church family to help me in times of need?

 

Imagine

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more 

than all we ask or imagine, 

according to his power that is at work within us, 

to him be glory in the church 

and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, 

for ever and ever! 

Amen."

Ephesians 3:20-21

Remember the John Lennon song, Imagine?  Have you ever really paid attention to the lyrics of this song?  It's easy to get caught up in the emotion of the music and lose the meaning, as the audience did at a Christmas on Ice show that my family and I attended last night.  Take a moment to read the lyrics:

Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people living for today

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people living life in peace

John Lennon imagined a one-world, no boundaries system with no hope for tomorrow, nothing to live for, and no purpose for our lives.  And then he thought we would live in peace?  Sounds like a recipe for chaos to me, and definitely not the kind of place I want to imagine living in.


As followers of Christ, we have a better imagination.  When Paul wrote the benediction found in Ephesians 3, he said that God is able to do more than we can ask or imagine. Like what?


God's Family  It used to be that I had to be born into the right people group, the nation of Israel, in order to belong to Him.  Now, through faith in Jesus, I can be a part of God's family!  And as a member of this family, I stand to inherit eternal life.  How many people have searched their lives for a way to be able to live forever, or at least extend their existence?  I can think of the famed "Fountain of Youth," research in cryonics, (a human being is frozen until some point in the future when good health can be restored through medical breakthroughs), along with all kinds of nutritional supplements and exercise plans.  But none of these promise eternal life, and none gives the assurance of a life of hope that we can have in Jesus!  Paul desired for all believers to be able to, ". . .know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance. . ." (Ephesians 1:18)  I have the hope of heaven as my inheritance as a member of God's family!


A Member  Everyone wants to belong.  Ask anyone who works with gangs, and they will tell you that one of the most prevalent reasons youth join gangs is that they want to be apart of something.  Even though their gang family does not truly care about them, it fills a need to belong.  As a believer in Jesus, I belong to a huge family that spans the globe.  No matter where I go, I will find those who share my faith, love my God and learn from the same scriptures. As the Apostle Paul taught, "Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." (I Corinthians 12:27)  Through my simple faith in Jesus as my Savior, I am a member of the Body of Christ: now I belong!


Direction  I remember many times in my life when I had to put together some kind of gift on Christmas Eve.  My husband and I would start off thinking we could easily figure it out, but would always resort to reading the directions to finish the job.  In order to truly understand the workings of the object, we had to go to the directions created by the manufacturer of that item. It is the same with us!  As a believer in Jesus, I now have access to the One who created all things and who best knows how I should live my life!   I have direction and guidance from my Creator as a follower of Jesus.


This Christmas, as I think on the miracle of God's Son coming down as a tiny babe, I will remember all that He has done for me.  He has adopted me into His family, thus making me an heir, He made me a member of His world-wide family, and bestowed upon me the gift of a relationship with Him.  I can't imagine anything better!


As I begin this day, I pray that I can keep my mind focused on the promises of God that came through His Son.


How can I live my life in unity with my adopted family?


This Christmas, how can I best honor the sacrifice Jesus made in the way I talk about, interact with, and treat my family?