Father's
Embrace Ministries
Blog Layout
Dependent or Independent
Feb 24, 2020
DEPENDENT OR INDEPENDENT?
God has been stirring my heart on this question in recent weeks. Are we dependent on God – totally? Or do we still have a streak of independence?
Have we got ‘independent strongholds’ i.e. have we ever thought along the lines of ‘I’m going to make it on my own in this area. No-one is going to control me or my thoughts or my actions ever again’. ‘I’m not going to be dependent on anyone just like my mother/father/sister/brother (and so forth) is’.
These are but 2 scenarios that come to mind when I think of independence, of course there are so many more scenarios. But whilst that might work in life and in this world, we, as born again believer of Jesus Christ, are not of this world. We are of a higher Kingdom, and we are very much DEPENDENT on God.
The Bible is full of scripture that leads us to that conclusion –
Jeremiah 29:11-13 – 11(AMPC) 11 For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome. 12 Then you will call upon Me, and you will come and pray to Me, and I will hear and heed you. 13 Then you will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me [as a vital necessity] and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 17:7-8 (AMPC) 7 [Most] blessed is the man who believes in, trusts in, and relies on the Lord, and whose hope and confidence the Lord is. 8 For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters that spreads out its roots by the river; and it shall not see and fear when heat comes; but its leaf shall be green. It shall not be anxious and full of care in the year of drought, nor shall it cease yielding fruit.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (TPT) 5 Trust in the Lord completely, and do not rely on your own opinions. With all your heart rely on him to guide you, and he will lead you in every decision you make. 6 Become intimate with him in whatever you do, and he will lead you wherever you go.
Proverbs 19:21 (AMPC) Many plans are in a man’s mind, but it is the Lord’s purpose for him that will stand.
Psalm 121:1-2 (TPT) 1–2 I look up to the mountains and hills, longing for God’s help. But then I realize that our true help and protection come only from the Lord, our Creator who made the heavens and the earth.
John 15:5 (AMPC) I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.
Isaiah 41:13 (TPT) I am Yahweh, your mighty God! I grip your right hand and won’t let you go! I whisper to you: ‘Don’t be afraid; I am here to help you!’
A couple of years ago Graham & I were at a Conference and staying overnight at a local hotel. On my way to the hotel (which we had stayed in a couple of times before), I was so confident that I knew where I was going that I actually got myself into quite a pickle getting there. You see, the road layout had changed. Now I should have known that and checked before I confidently went on my way. Because the previous couple of times we had been there, they were doing the roadworks. And so in my own confidence I drove, completely ignoring the road signs telling me about the new road layout. I drove the way I had gone the time before. And instead of being able to turn right to go towards the hotel, I could now only go straight, because there was no longer a right turn lane or option. So I had to try and figure out how to get to the other side of the road, which led me to ‘going the scenic route’.
But as if that wasn’t bad enough, instead of checking which way I should have actually gone on the new road layout, I kept going the way I had discovered which was complicated and long-winded.
What does that little illustration show and tell? Well, our independence can get us going along roads that we should never be going along because they lead to nowhere. But as we lean on God, as we come totally dependent on Him in ALL areas of our lives, we will be walking in His will and ending up where He wants us to be. Because in Jeremiah 29 (oft quoted verses), we know that He has plans for us, to prosper us and to give us a hope and a future.
When we go through life holding onto our independence, we miss out on so much. And very often we miss out on Holy Spirit leading us because we are determined we know the way to go. When we live with an independent attitude, we may never seek God with our whole heart. Independence can give us just the excuse and reason we need to stop pursuing God and stop ourselves from truly knowing Him.
It is only when we humble ourselves before God, and declare to Him and to ourselves that we cannot be independent of Him any longer, that we will see things start to flourish in our lives. This takes faith and trust, and a change of mindset. When we have an Independent Mindset, we don’t want to change, but God wants us to. Because He knows that His ways are better than our ways, and it is best for us to go His way.
As we commit ourselves to the process of renewing our minds and changing our mindset we learn to truly love God and rely on Him totally. We become moulded and transformed by His truth.
This paragraph from the First15 devotional sums it up – “To place your faith and trust in God alone is not to free yourself from the need to act, be responsible, and work, but rather to position yourself to receive empowerment, guidance, and grace for every action, responsibility, and work. To place our faith and trust in God alone is to humble ourselves before God as our King, Shepherd, Helper, and Provider so that all we do is done through him. May your life be filled with his loving presence, guidance, and power as you place your faith and trust in him alone.”
My desire for myself and for you today is that we become totally dependent on God, because He knows the plans He has for us, and as we trust in Him and walk in His ways, we will benefit and our testimony will be one of prosperity in EVERY area of our lives.
I bless you to commit to growing in Him and in His ways so that we become more and more like Jesus in every area of our lives.
Blessings upon blessings
Jean
God has been stirring my heart on this question in recent weeks. Are we dependent on God – totally? Or do we still have a streak of independence?
Have we got ‘independent strongholds’ i.e. have we ever thought along the lines of ‘I’m going to make it on my own in this area. No-one is going to control me or my thoughts or my actions ever again’. ‘I’m not going to be dependent on anyone just like my mother/father/sister/brother (and so forth) is’.
These are but 2 scenarios that come to mind when I think of independence, of course there are so many more scenarios. But whilst that might work in life and in this world, we, as born again believer of Jesus Christ, are not of this world. We are of a higher Kingdom, and we are very much DEPENDENT on God.
The Bible is full of scripture that leads us to that conclusion –
Jeremiah 29:11-13 – 11(AMPC) 11 For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome. 12 Then you will call upon Me, and you will come and pray to Me, and I will hear and heed you. 13 Then you will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me [as a vital necessity] and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 17:7-8 (AMPC) 7 [Most] blessed is the man who believes in, trusts in, and relies on the Lord, and whose hope and confidence the Lord is. 8 For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters that spreads out its roots by the river; and it shall not see and fear when heat comes; but its leaf shall be green. It shall not be anxious and full of care in the year of drought, nor shall it cease yielding fruit.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (TPT) 5 Trust in the Lord completely, and do not rely on your own opinions. With all your heart rely on him to guide you, and he will lead you in every decision you make. 6 Become intimate with him in whatever you do, and he will lead you wherever you go.
Proverbs 19:21 (AMPC) Many plans are in a man’s mind, but it is the Lord’s purpose for him that will stand.
Psalm 121:1-2 (TPT) 1–2 I look up to the mountains and hills, longing for God’s help. But then I realize that our true help and protection come only from the Lord, our Creator who made the heavens and the earth.
John 15:5 (AMPC) I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.
Isaiah 41:13 (TPT) I am Yahweh, your mighty God! I grip your right hand and won’t let you go! I whisper to you: ‘Don’t be afraid; I am here to help you!’
A couple of years ago Graham & I were at a Conference and staying overnight at a local hotel. On my way to the hotel (which we had stayed in a couple of times before), I was so confident that I knew where I was going that I actually got myself into quite a pickle getting there. You see, the road layout had changed. Now I should have known that and checked before I confidently went on my way. Because the previous couple of times we had been there, they were doing the roadworks. And so in my own confidence I drove, completely ignoring the road signs telling me about the new road layout. I drove the way I had gone the time before. And instead of being able to turn right to go towards the hotel, I could now only go straight, because there was no longer a right turn lane or option. So I had to try and figure out how to get to the other side of the road, which led me to ‘going the scenic route’.
But as if that wasn’t bad enough, instead of checking which way I should have actually gone on the new road layout, I kept going the way I had discovered which was complicated and long-winded.
What does that little illustration show and tell? Well, our independence can get us going along roads that we should never be going along because they lead to nowhere. But as we lean on God, as we come totally dependent on Him in ALL areas of our lives, we will be walking in His will and ending up where He wants us to be. Because in Jeremiah 29 (oft quoted verses), we know that He has plans for us, to prosper us and to give us a hope and a future.
When we go through life holding onto our independence, we miss out on so much. And very often we miss out on Holy Spirit leading us because we are determined we know the way to go. When we live with an independent attitude, we may never seek God with our whole heart. Independence can give us just the excuse and reason we need to stop pursuing God and stop ourselves from truly knowing Him.
It is only when we humble ourselves before God, and declare to Him and to ourselves that we cannot be independent of Him any longer, that we will see things start to flourish in our lives. This takes faith and trust, and a change of mindset. When we have an Independent Mindset, we don’t want to change, but God wants us to. Because He knows that His ways are better than our ways, and it is best for us to go His way.
As we commit ourselves to the process of renewing our minds and changing our mindset we learn to truly love God and rely on Him totally. We become moulded and transformed by His truth.
This paragraph from the First15 devotional sums it up – “To place your faith and trust in God alone is not to free yourself from the need to act, be responsible, and work, but rather to position yourself to receive empowerment, guidance, and grace for every action, responsibility, and work. To place our faith and trust in God alone is to humble ourselves before God as our King, Shepherd, Helper, and Provider so that all we do is done through him. May your life be filled with his loving presence, guidance, and power as you place your faith and trust in him alone.”
My desire for myself and for you today is that we become totally dependent on God, because He knows the plans He has for us, and as we trust in Him and walk in His ways, we will benefit and our testimony will be one of prosperity in EVERY area of our lives.
I bless you to commit to growing in Him and in His ways so that we become more and more like Jesus in every area of our lives.
Blessings upon blessings
Jean