As we grew up, we were constantly being told about the importance of becoming independent. When we were children, we relied heavily on our parents for all our needs and wants. The more we got older, the less our parents provided and the more we would have to take responsibility into our own hands. This mindset that is ingrained in our brains at a young age is very contradictory to what God wants us to do.
First off, the problem isn’t about needing to be more independent, it is about recognizing who we should be depending on. It is true that with age we should learn to take responsibility, but we actually need to become more dependent as we grow stronger in our relationship with the Lord. Instead of depending on other people, or trying to do everything on our own, we should become completely dependent on Christ.
God is the only thing that will provide us with complete satisfaction. We try to fill our lives with materials or idols that give us instant gratification, but these earthly desires do not fulfill our deepest longings. We need to rely on Christ for everything, but in this article, I’m going to focus on why we must rely on God for our materials, plans, and comfort.
Materials
The biggest mistake that people make is that we think that having more goods will bring us joy and make us feel complete. Our possessions are meaningless. They may satisfy us in the moment, but we will end up still feeling like there is a hole in our lives that only Jesus can fill. Instead of trying to be independent and use tangible things to find happiness, we should depend on God to provide us with all that we need. If we rely on God for our materials and possessions, then we won’t waste time and energy trying to get ahold of materials ourselves. We can keep our minds focused on God’s glory, have faith that He will give us all we need, and not feel constantly unsatisfied.
“Keep your life free from love, of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:5-6)
“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)
Plans
I know that a big problem of mine is that I try to plan and figure out my life on my own. I continuously think that I have the power to control my future. When circumstances don’t go the way I planned, I feel stressed out and upset. I can confidently say that I am not the only person who does this. Instead of trying to figure life out on our own, we should just depend on God’s predetermined plan for us. God is in control and we are not. The more we have reliance on God’s direction and agenda, we will have less stress and won’t be disappointed. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t put the effort in to succeed at what we do, but I am saying the focus should be on glorifying God and seeking what he has in store for us. Since God already has our life figured out, why try to dictate what is going to happen in the future?
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)
“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalms 37:4)
Comfort
There are many different things that we try to find comfort from. Whether it be relationships, objects, activities etc., these earthly concepts will never comfort us the way Jesus will. We think money will give us comfort when handling the stress of living costs. We think relationships will comfort our emotional baggage. We think having a good career will comfort our hearts when we worry about the future. The truth is, nothing is constant except for Jesus Christ. The people, objects, and activities that we rely on could disappear at any moment. God, however, is with us always. He will never leave us and His love fills our hearts, giving us all the comfort we could need. Instead of trying to find temporary comfort, we should seek comfort that never ends. That comfort comes from depending on God.
“This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.” (Psalms 119:50)
“He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted, but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:29-31)