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We began this exploration of dependence with the observation that, as Christians, we tend to acknowledge our dependence on God in theory, but practically manifest an ongoing desire to live independently of Him.

Specifically, we set out to consider two issues:

• The depth of our dependence –  It is quite possible to acknowledge the idea of our dependence, while minimizing the degree or significance of that dependence.
• The areas and ways in which our independence continues to manifest itself – Even among believers who claim a firm commitment to Christ, we find attitudes and beliefs that are at odds with the true nature of our dependency.

Now, having spent the last few weeks tracking the theme of dependency through much of The Story, let’s revisit these two areas in light of our discoveries.

Perhaps we should start by fleshing out our vague notions of dependency. In what ways do we actually see ourselves as dependent?

• In Our Need for “Salvation” – The easiest and most obvious area in which we acknowledge our dependency is in our status as sinners who need to be justified.
• In Crises – When life goes wrong, we tend to acknowledge our dependence. We discover that we have cancer, or some other medical condition. Our teenager is in a serious accident. A marriage close to us is coming apart. In crises like these, we turn to God in prayer, acknowledging our dependence.
• In Major Events – When faced with major life events, like marriage, changing jobs, or perhaps buying a house, we reveal a sense of dependence as we seek God’s guidance and/or intervention.
• In a General Sense of His Provision – Generally, we tend to acknowledge that God is behind all that we have. He allowed us to be born in a land of plenty. He gave us our abilities. He gave us our job. He even gave us our health.

Now, all these things are, for the most part, true. And at first glance, this seems like a pretty healthy awareness of dependency, but let me ask a question or two.

What if you didn’t live in a prosperous place and didn’t have a regular job? Would you be more or less dependent than you are now? How comfortable would you be with your dependency then?

How would you feel if God put you in a situation of total dependency, like Israel experienced with the manna, or like the Twelve when Jesus sent them out?

What if you had no money in the bank, no expectation of a paycheck, and had to trust God to provide everything you were going to need for the foreseeable future?

See, in my experience, we are ok, more or less, with the notion of our dependence as long as the issue remains largely theoretical. As long as we can see our way through the foreseeable future. (I say, “more or less”, because, even in this profession of dependence, many of us still long for the day when we have the resources to meet any anticipated need.)

We hope that, if we acknowledge this at the theoretical level, we will never have to literally trust God to get us through the next 24 hours. It’s like we are telling God, “I already understand that You provide everything, so we don’t need to go through the experience where I learn that lesson.”

We’re ok with the idea of dependence on God, we’re just averse to actually experiencing it.

But, if we don’t want to actually experience dependence on God, what do we want?

Independence.

So, professing dependence, we pursue independence.

This instinct is deeply ingrained in us. As we have already observed, it was this pursuit of independence that alienated us from God in the Garden.

And, throughout The Story, it shows up again and again – in the lesson of the manna, the lesson of the sabbath, in the Sermon on the Mount, in the sending of the Twelve, in the feeding of the multitudes, and the encounter with the rich young ruler.

If we look in Luke 14:25-35, we will find it again. Some of Jesus’ words will be familiar to us.

In verse 25, a large crowd is “going along with Him.” Now this would seem like a good thing. A lot of people are attracted to Him, interested in what He has to say. In our minds, the longer He can keep them around, the better. That will give Him a chance to impact them more deeply.

But that is not Jesus’ approach. He throws down the gauntlet. His words are more challenging than inviting.

“You want to follow Me? Here’s what you need to know.”

• “There can be no competition for you allegiance. You will have to love me exclusively. By comparison, it will look like you hate anyone who competes for this allegiance.” (v. 26)
• “You will have to submit unconditionally, regardless of the cost.” (v. 27)
• “Being My disciple is not something you “try” to do. Before you begin, you need to make sure that you can pay the full price.” (vv. 28-30)
• “There are no half-measures in following Me. You can hold nothing back. You must commit everything.” (vv. 31-32)

And how does He conclude?

“So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.”
(Luke 14:33 NAS95)

In other words, it will cost you everything. Your agenda and your means. There is no room for any competing agenda. No place for keeping back resources to be used as you wish, to live independently of Christ.

For many that encountered Jesus, like the Twelve, or the Rich Young Ruler, this had literal implications. He called them to walk away from their vocations, void themselves of any possessions, and come live with Him, allowing Him to set the agenda, trusting Him to provide for their means.

But what implications does this have for us? Are we supposed to quit our jobs? How do we follow Jesus today?

We’ll answer that part next week.

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