The quote below is in regard to having a right relationship with the Lord through dependency on Him alone. The paragraph is copied from The Devotional Writings of Oswald Chambers, September ninth evening devotional.
Independence can be a good thing when it is channeled into determination and perseverance. However, independence is not smart when it keeps us from heeding wise counsel and learning from our mistakes. If I fight against those trying to help me (which I shamefully do all too often), how likely is it that I'm going to depend on God, who knows me better than any human? The events in my life should instead drive me to total dependency on God.
The Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, is about having an on-going relationship with God through total dependency on Him. Those in the Bible that did not depend on the Lord got into trouble time after time; some of their mistakes even cost the lives of others. Those that depended on God (i.e. obeyed Him) with their physical actions but not in their hearts were still mentally and emotionally miserable. As with Jesus Christ, the greatest characteristic of our lives should be total submission to our Heavenly Father.
"When we are rightly related to God all our natural instincts help us to obey Him and become the greatest ally of the Holy Spirit. We disobey whenever we become independent. Independence is not strength but unrealized weakness, and is the very essence of sin. There was no independence in our Lord, the greatest characteristic of His life was submission to His Father."The Lord continually ordains events in my life that demand dependency on others in an attempt to encourage and teach me about dependency on Him. Adoption into a country where I did not know the language or customs required total dependency on others. Attending and successfully completing grade school and college was contingent on how much I submitted to others, particularly instructors' directions. Living and coping with HPS requires dependency on others (especially in the hospital!).
Independence can be a good thing when it is channeled into determination and perseverance. However, independence is not smart when it keeps us from heeding wise counsel and learning from our mistakes. If I fight against those trying to help me (which I shamefully do all too often), how likely is it that I'm going to depend on God, who knows me better than any human? The events in my life should instead drive me to total dependency on God.
The Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, is about having an on-going relationship with God through total dependency on Him. Those in the Bible that did not depend on the Lord got into trouble time after time; some of their mistakes even cost the lives of others. Those that depended on God (i.e. obeyed Him) with their physical actions but not in their hearts were still mentally and emotionally miserable. As with Jesus Christ, the greatest characteristic of our lives should be total submission to our Heavenly Father.
