Happy Dependence Day!
Two hundred forty-nine years ago, our Founding Fathers declared independence from Great Britain. I don’t know if we’re just too used to being independent, but it seems that most Americans today also want to declare independence from God. We want to do things our own way, with our own strength.
But just as declaring independence changed everything for Americans, I suggest that declaring dependence on God will change everything for you in infinitely more important ways.
You need to depend on God for salvation. That may seem obvious, but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve asked a Christian where he’s going when he dies, and he’ll tell me, with some worry in his voice, “Well, I hope I’m going to heaven.”
When you depend on God for your salvation, you can be certain about your salvation. John said in 1 John 5:13 that “you may know you have eternal life.” If you don’t have that certainty, that means you’re trusting in your own ability to obey God perfectly rather than in God’s promise of forgiveness.
You need to depend on God to guide you and to give you power as you do his work. Have you ever met with other Christians to plan a good work for God’s kingdom and totally forgotten to pray and declare your dependence on Him to guide you as you do his work? Whose power were you relying on?
How often do you talk to your Heavenly Father? I think that might be a good gauge for measuring how dependent you really are on Him.
Jesus told his followers, “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4-5).
You need to depend on God to take care of you. Do you often find yourself worrying about tomorrow? Peter encouraged you to “cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)
On July 4 in America, we pay honor to our flag, Old Glory, the Stars and Stripes. But as Christians, every day of the year our glory should be in the scars and stripes of Jesus. As Paul said, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Galatians 6:14)
As you celebrate America’s Independence Day this year, I encourage you to recommit yourself to celebrating Dependence Day every day of the year.