We all live life on various levels that include multiple ways of achieving goals; it is the way we do this thing called life.  It is a type of dance. For instance, when we were kids, and our parents would tell us to do something, we would then try to discover a different way of doing it,  if we do it at all. Because (and especially during our teenage years), our thought was not our parents who had the knowledge, it was us who knew what to do. They were old and didn’t know anything. It was us, the child, the teenager, the college student , who knew what was best. Then we became adults, and we started awakening to the startling fact that perhaps our parents knew a thing or two after all,  though (and let’s be honest) we did not verbally admit it to them, and perhaps we also did not want to acknowledge to ourselves that while  we strived to be independent beings, we were in fact dependent on them for our very survival.

The issue of being independent continues well into our adulthood. Through life experiences we believe we have more sure footing to handle the next problem, based on lessons learned from the past. At times that can be a good thing; in others, it can be a disaster. What happens when  the system you’ve developed and used for years in solving various issues doesn’t work anymore? What do you do when you are all out of solutions? What do you do when you say “I’m independent” has no bearing on your present situation?

Funny thing about the word independent, it is how you look at it that makes all the difference.  The dictionary defines this word as not relying on anything or anyone else; not being subject to control, showing a desire for freedom, (and here’s a good one) being self-governing. That is what we wanted when we were teens, right, wanting to self govern ourselves through life? Now that we’re all grown up, there may be a problem with that philosophy, as for many of us, including the faith-based person, many continue to self-govern themselves to no avail. Thus, the answers we come up with that may have worked in the past are no longer working. Perhaps it is our mindset that keeps us stuck in such a way that enables us to live life as we always have, not trying new solutions, but continually continuing in what we have grown so accustomed to doing. Implementing something different is scary and unknown, so we live life in the self-governing box we developed; a square-shaped quagmire, a situation that is hard to deal with and difficult to get out of. But…

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart,  and do not rely on your own understanding;
think about Him in all your ways,  and He will guide you on the right paths.”  Proverbs 3:5,6

The above verses define being in-dependent. In this context, being in dependent is not the definition the dictionary. It is living in a way that is dependent on the ways, the thoughts, and the guidance of Someone Else other that ourselves.  If we commit our way to God and trust in Him, He will act (Psalm 37:5). If we do not rely on our understanding of the situation but instead lean to God’s viewpoint, there will be  a different result to the situation. Then we can say as David wrote in Psalm 124 that had it not been for the Lord who was on our side, we would have been swallowed quick by the enemy.

So it is all about perspective regarding the word in-dependent. For purposes of this blog, it means living life in the realm of dependency in God, not in the governing of self. It may be difficult at first, but keep trusting, waiting and leaning on the God of all sufficiency, and you will soon be doing the happy dance of independance… be strengthenized.