Independence! Our country was founded on it, numerous songs have been written about it and our culture today encourages the cutting of any reliance on any other source of support outside of yourself, a sort of self-governing if you will. In fact, if you were to look up synonyms for the word “Independent” you would find some of the following – self-dependent, self-reliant, self-supportive, and naturally the opposite of independent is, you guessed it, dependent, or reliance on something other than yourself. You see, from self-help books, TV ads, to even Hallmark movies the message of being independent is driven home continually and resoundingly, and yet the Gospel of Jesus Christ rings out with clarity in this area.
In John chapter 8, Jesus really laid down the gavel when he said, “everyone who commits sin (that’s all of us) is a slave to sin.” Pretty crushing words, right? Enslaved, in bondage, held captive, trapped and desolate with no escape. Think being stuck in I-95 rush hour, holiday traffic, 100 degrees out with no AC type of stuff, if we commit sin, we are a slave to sin. Enter the good news of Christ! In Romans 6:6 Paul says when we believe in the accomplished work of Christ, our old self is crucified WITH Christ, and through that, we are now no longer slaves to sin! Isn’t that incredible news?! So you can see how Christ has bought our independence for us and we are now free! But, now what? What are we freed for? If you ask me…a life of dependence!
Contrary to popular belief, the life lived in Christ is not one primarily marked by independence, but rather dependence. You see, it is through giving up our self-reliance, our self-support, and our selfishness that we begin to find true and meaningful independence in Him! And where this really begins to play itself out is in the local church, and what a beautiful picture of dependence it can be! In 1st Corinthians 12, Paul is addressing spiritual gifts, and the local church, and in verse 26 we read, “and if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.” Do you see dependence there? Whether in suffering or rejoicing, we are to rely on and lean into, not away from, the local body. Or consider Romans 12:15 where Paul says we are to rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn. Again we see practically how we are not alone in this walk, but rather are to link arms with our brothers and sisters in Christ! But, here is the interesting thing, how can others rejoice with you, or mourn with you, if you never allow them to?
One area at Choice that we are passionate about leveraging “one another” and embracing dependence is in our kid’s ministry. We desire to partner with families to ensure that children are raised to Love God, Know Truth, and Live it Out, but that only happens when we combine efforts and rely on the giftings that Christ has placed in the local body. Would you consider what it means for you to both embrace dependence personally and spiritually? Maybe there is an opportunity for you to get involved and serve? Or maybe for you, it’s as simple as allowing others into your life and pushing back against a culture that will tell you that you must do it on your own and be I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T?
We look forward to ministering to your kids this fall at CBC!
Garrett Ericson
