This month we celebrate America’s 244th birthday, freedom and our declaration of independence as a nation. Freedom and independence are certainly two of our most cherished values which we often take for granted.
However, as ‘citizens of heaven’ and Christ followers, we must remind ourselves of our need to regularly declare our ‘declaration of dependence’. By this I mean our dependence upon God and upon Christ’s finished work on the cross as the only way to God the Father, forgiveness of sin and entrance into heaven.
We also need to be reminded that even after we are saved, we have a tendency to live a life of self-sufficiency. The Apostle Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 3:5 of our daily need for God’s direction in our lives…
“Not that we are sufficient of ourselves… but our sufficiency is from God.”
The hymn writer Robert Lowry expressed this truth in a familiar hymn with these words:
“I need Thee, O I need Thee. Every hour I need Thee
O bless me now my Savior, I come to Thee.”
Lastly, we need to be reminded of our need for one another as fellow Christ followers. God never designed the Christian life to be lived independently from one another, but interdependently. While we sometimes are hesitant to admit it, we need one another, we need to encourage one another and pray for one another.
So while we celebrate our independence as a nation this month, let’s also remember to declare our declaration of dependence: upon God and upon our fellow Christ followers.