Deeper dependence. I want to depend on God, but on days where it feels like the world in stronger than my faith, my dependence is shaken rather than strengthened. However, how can I achieve this deeper dependence on God rather than relying on myself?
What does it mean to have deeper dependence and what does it look like? Can we cultivate a deeper dependence or should we? Is it worth our time? Developing a deeper dependence depends on what we’re depending on for our security.
(Did you see how many times I put the word dependence in one sentence? Editors everywhere are clutching their red correcting pens, wanting to swipe them across the computer screen right now.)
I compare my dependence on God like watching my six year old try to pour milk on his cereal. “Don’t worry mom, I’ve got this,” he says in his cute sing song voice on a Saturday morning. I know I can help him, but I also know sometimes he has to learn to do things for himself. Until the milk spills all over my counter and I begin practicing deep breathing to not yell over spilled milk. Yet, he learned he wasn’t quite ready to pour his milk. Next time, he asked me to help him.
It’s not my intention to keep my son dependent on me for his whole life. The last thing I want is for him to need someone else to pour milk on his cereal in college. But sometimes I’m this way with God. Instead of having a dependent attitude where I bring everything to Him, I say, “Don’t worry, God, I’ve got this.” I have the mental mentality that I can do things without God’s help.
Yes, it’s true we can accomplish things, sometimes even great things in our lives without the help of God. But at what cost? It costs our dependence on God and allowing Him the opportunity to work in our lives. Imagine if I had taken what I had and given it to God to bless before I had used it.
The parable of the boy who gave Jesus five loaves of bread and two fish comes to mind. He gave everything he had for Jesus to use. Instead of feeding a few people, Jesus took this small offering and fed five thousand. You can read the full story here.
When I’m completely dependent on God and give Him everything that I have, He can take it and bless thousands if that’s His will. Or it can be an offering between God and myself that only we know about.
The question I ask myself is, am I willing to develop a deeper dependence on God? Am I willing to trust Him with the big things and the small things in my life?
Dare I say, it’s the small things that help build our dependence with God. By trusting Him with the little things everyday, it builds our faith that He can be trusted when the big storms of life come along that attempt to drag us down. We know God has us protected because we’ve seen Him work out the little things that maybe in the past we thought would be meaningless to Him.
My friend, let me tell you, nothing is meaningless in our lives to God. He wants us to have a dependence so deep on Him, we can’t go a day, an hour, a minute without being in communication with Him.
This dependence is not out of obligation. Rather it is out of praise, awe and reverence for what
He has done for us. I’m embarrassed to say there are times in my life, where I’ve had the attitude of what has God done for me lately?
Then I need a reality check.
While it might not be lately, the ultimate deed was completed over 2,000 years ago through a cross on Calvary. Jesus hung on a cross for crimes He didn’t commit.
For me.
And for you.
Even if you or I were the only people on earth, He would have willing died a criminal’s death to save us from living in eternity without Him. All He asks of us in return is the believe in Him. To ask Him into our lives.
Instead of forcing Himself on us, He quietly waits for an invitation. An invitation that allows us to have more dependence on Him and less on ourselves. Imagine relying so heavily on God that the fear and the lies the enemy tries to whisper to our hearts never get a foothold because we know the author of the Truth intimately through depending on Him for everything.
He can allow us to step back from Him, but He will never step back from us. When we stop depending on Him, He won’t force Himself back into our lives. It’s not until we seek Him, that we will find Him.
Do you want to develop a deeper dependence on God? How are you going to do it? Share it in the comments below to encourage others.