Deepening Dependency
What does it mean to walk in dependance? Have you ever needed to depend on someone to help you meet something that you couldn’t do yourself? There’s something deeply personal about having a dependency met. We’re called to depend on the Lord and to look to Him in our time of need.
What is it about dependency that carries with it a near intimate tie? Well, for dependency to even be required, there first must be a realization of a specific lack. Here’s a trivial example, the other day I left my wallet in a friend’s car. I was aware of my need for my wallet and my friend offered to drive it to where I was. I depended on him to show up and meet my need.
We are called to walk in dependency on the Lord in all things. That’s significant because that charge is deeper than just “ask God for help.” There’s a prerequisite necessary. To walk in dependency, we need to understand our lack and our need for God first. If our life is 1,000 mixed up puzzle pieces, God is the picture we are to emulate.
Jesus talks extensively in John 14-16 about the necessary gift of the Holy Spirit coming to the believers. The Spirit is going to come and “reveal all truth” (John 16:13). This is a essential because we do not know all truth as it stands now. It is only by the gift of the Spirit that we have access to God’s overarching will.
Paul mentions Jesus’ reply to him as he is asking for a certain affliction to be taken away, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). Paul then goes on to say, “So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
Paul took to heart Jesus’ words. He believed that Jesus would be strong for him in the areas that he was weak. This gave Paul an entirely new perspective on the challenging things he was facing. He trusted that God would reveal Himself in new ways to meet Paul’s specific needs. So, when Paul recognized his areas of need, it brought about an expectation that God was going to work specifically to meet that need. That need being met then bolstered further Paul’s faith in the person and reality of God.
See, dependency is deeply personal. There’s a two-way street here that must be uncovered for us to fully grasp the beauty of this concept. Not only must we be aware of our need, but the one we are going to must also be aware and willing to respond. God not only generally provides – like rain does over a county of people. God specifically provides in ways that are unique to us and independent from others.
Dependency is this beautiful partnership of have and have-not. Your needs are different than mine. There is no playbook to be followed here aside from the general call to love Jesus. What’s amazing is that He will reveal the places in your heart that require deeper dependency. He will uncover the needy places, so that we might ask him and so that He will then provide. This is a recipe that produces an ever-deeper dependency on God. To see Him provide unearths a deeper desire to see Him provide yet again. Lord, show me my neediness that I may experience your provision. As I practice dependency would You show me my need to depend on You all the more — thus deepening my roots.
