Independence Day

I have been thinking a lot today about Independence Day. I think it started yesterday during our bible class when independence Day came up there. And while I am very thankful and grateful for the independence and luxuries we have as a country, it has caused me to think a lot today about my independence or dependence upon God.

It seems like we (or at least I) sometimes have a great deal of trouble truly being dependent upon God for the things in my life. We have this mentality of always thinking we need or even can "fix things". Why is that? As I have thought all day about tomorrow being Independence Day for our country, it has made me think about how everything really in this life calls for independence.

When our children are small they are dependent upon us for everything. But as they grow up, we encourage them to become more independent. To begin to dress and feed themselves, to begin making choices on their own, to eventually be out of the house, on their own, and independent. It's no wonder, that as we get older, we sometimes find it hard to be dependent upon God.

Everything in this world screams independence. And the older you get, the more you seem to hear it. Everything encourages you do be independent. While we of course need to have good jobs and be able to take care of ourselves and our families so we don't depend upon others our entire life, I think we forget during all this independence how to be dependent upon God. Somehow, where God is concerned, we need to get back to the mind set of a child, to where we rely on Him for everything.

I think the only way to do that is through constant prayer and study. We all know that we should take everything before God in prayer before making decisions. Even the simplest of things we should take to God. But how many times do we get caught up in the here and now and thinking we can take care of this one by ourselves. (We've been studying Joshua in bible class and I feel sometimes like the Israelites who got a little cocky and decided they didn't need to ask God before allowing the Gibeonites to deceive them.) And before you know it, you are out there being more independent than being dependent upon God. And more times than not, things really not going so well.

My prayer for this Independence Day, is while I am thanking for the independence of this country that God has blessed us with, that I will make a new commitment in my life to be more dependent upon God. Because I believe when we have more dependence upon God, we will actually be more free than we ever have been before.