The United States celebrates its independence day today, but even as we look at the state of the nation and the world, we find that no nation is truly an independent entity. The world’s countries function better when they work together and some literally depend on others for goods and services. Individually, we are just the same. We may claim to be independent, but in reality, we are dependent on others for survival.
We were created for community. From birth, we were created for relationships and dependence on each other. I believe The Almighty made us this way to show our dependence on Him. Without God, we cannot even ‘command’ our lungs to breathe or our hearts to beat. We are totally dependent on our Creator and in Him, we move and live. In John 15:4, Jesus said “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.” If we abide in Jesus, He abides in us and we can have a more abundant life.
As we spend some time contemplating the sacrifices many made so that we could celebrate the independence of this great nation, let us also spend time meditating on our dependence on God today.