The Error of Self-Dependence

As stores geared up for the holidays, I could not help thinking about what I needed to prepare. I was already trying to figure out a new location in the house for the Christmas tree and wondered about the holiday decoration theme we should go with for the front yard. So much to do.

Being extremely independent, I often hesitate to ask for help when I need it the most. In a culture built on power, independence, and pride, many of us are led to believe we do not need anyone, and we should try to do it ourselves whenever possible.

But the truth is, we do need one another. Everyone called to be in our lives is there for a reason. God wants us to rely on our family members, friends, colleagues, and for sure, his Son Jesus Christ.

In Job 2, God sends three friends to comfort and care for him during a time of great turmoil. When we learn to accept help from others more willingly, we also learn to trust and depend on Christ. He wants us to surrender to those ready to assist us, allowing them to bless us with their help. The idea that we are meant to rely only on ourselves is untrue, especially when taken to the extreme.

We do not need to become more independent but more dependent. Our desire to control our circumstances, clinging to possessions for security and independence, gives God little room to reign in our hearts.

Our true freedom and power do not come from holding tight to our pride and independence but in surrendering to God and those he brings into our lives, especially in our time of genuine need of help and comfort. “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son” (John 3:16) for us to lean on.

Let us try being less independent today, of course, in a godly sense, so we can come to experience the abundant blessings in store for us as we rely more and more upon him and those he places in our lives.

Lord, grant me the grace to accept my limits and increase my faith and dependence on you more. Also, nurture in me a willingness to let others enter into my struggles, humbly allowing them to assist me with the burdens I often try to carry alone. Amen.

Throughout This Day: Cast off all illusion of your self-sufficiency, humbly accepting help from those around you who wish to assist you with the load you bear today.