DEPENDENT OR INDEPENDENT – WHICH IS BETTER?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
Then she called, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!”
He awoke from his sleep and thought, “I’ll go out as before
and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord
had left him.
(Judges 16:20)

MEDITATION:
We are tempted in many ways, and one of our biggest temptations
is our desire to become self-sufficient (we overlook the importance
of our need for God in our lives). We want to prove to others, and
ourselves that we can achieve anything in our own strength, using
our own abilities, wisdom, and ingenuity.

The danger with this thinking is – the more we become self-sufficient,
the less we feel the need to depend on God (the very One Who provides
everything we have, including our skills, talents, and abilities).

We can see how independence affected the life of Samson. God gave
him an inordinate amount of physical strength, but Samson forgot
(or ignored) the source of his strength. Samson was focused so much
on himself and his self-sufficiency, that he didn’t even realize when
the Lord had removed his strength.
    “…But he did not know that the Lord had left him”
    (Judges 16:20)

When Delilah called, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!”, he
thought nothing had changed; but in reality, he discovered that
everything had changed.

Whatever physical ability Samson had without the Lord was insufficient.
In his own strength, he could not break the cords that were binding him.
As a result, he was vulnerable to the evilness of others, and the Philistines
were able to take control of him (they blinded and humiliated Samson).
    “Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes
      and took him down to Gaza. Binding him with bronze
      shackles, they set him to grinding grain in the prison.”
      (Judges 16:21)

Later, he remembered the source of his strength and he prayed,
    “…Sovereign Lord, remember me.
    Please, God, strengthen me just once more..”
    (Judges 16:28)

Samson realized he was no longer self-sufficient (that his own
strength alone was not enough), and he knew the only way to
regain his physical strength, was to depend on, and call on
God (the real source of his strength).

ACTION:
Some say,
    “The Holy Spirit could be removed from the
      world and most Christians would not even notice.”
The rationale of this statement is based on the fact that
many believers have a tendency to live, work, and even
serve God in their own strength.

Where are you? Do you depend on God, or are you doing
everything independent of Him? How often do you ask
God for His help? Do you pray and ask Him to help you
on a regular basis, or do you only ask for His help during
times of trouble?

What about your thoughts throughout the day? Are your
thoughts focused on how you can get everything done, or
do you think about, and pray for God to provide for your
needs?

God has given us everything we need to follow, obey, and
serve Him. Don’t allow Satan to convince you that you are
self-sufficient, but instead, thank God for how He provides
for your needs daily and learn to depend on Him. Remember
that when you serve God, it is to bring glory to Him, and not
you (which is what Satan wants you to think).

God wants our dependence and not our independence. What are
your plans for today, tomorrow, or this week? Have you asked
God for His assistance with your plans? In doing this, you can
experience God’s help, and be reminded of your need for Him.
Don’t be afraid to seek His help, even in the things you consider
as menial tasks.

We need to establish a habit of asking for, and receiving God’s
assistance. Once we learn to receive God’s help, our desire for
depending on Him should increase. Does depending on someone
else bother you? It shouldn’t, especially when you accept the fact
that God knows what you need, and when you need it.

We only see a snapshot of the things going on in our lives,
but God sees everything from beginning to end, so He is
much more qualified to know what we need, and when we
need it, wouldn’t you agree?

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for all You provide for me.
Forgive me for the times I have felt self-sufficient and
prideful to the point that I didn’t feel I needed You to
help me, or that I didn’t want to bother You. Help me
to realize that not only will You help me, but You ‘want’
to help me in all things. As my Creator, You know more
about me and my needs than I do. Remind of how I need
to depend on You, and to call on You often to help me in
all things, so I will not allow Satan to convince me that I
can do just fine on my own. Thank you for the things You
provide that I may have overlooked, like food, clothing,
shelter, breathing, jobs (and the ability to do them), etc.
Father, without You, I can do nothing, but when I depend
on You, there is no limit to what I can accomplish as You
lead, guide, and equip me for achieving what You desire.”

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