The necessity of dependence

The very acts of eating, drinking, and breathing are daily reminders that we ¹depend on things outside ourselves for life. They also remind us of how fragile life truly is when we can not access these basic essential resources.

When we stop to consider it, what is necessary for life comes to us from ²without, not within. If we do not partake of these physical resources we die. We usually don't give this much thought until the threat of not having these presents itself.

This is not only true physically but spiritually as well. Without God - and these physical resources created and sustained by Him - we cease to ³function as we were designed to.

So we are indirectly sustained by God through the things that we need for life. Without God these things would no exist and neither would we.

No amount of rebellion or desire to be ²independent - "free" - of our physical or spiritual needs (or limits) will change our dependence. We may ignore, resist, or deny our dependence, but to do so ultimately leads to death - physically and spiritually. 

To continue receiving and benefiting from what we must have for life requires acknowledging our ongoing need for and dependence on them and their Source. Otherwise it will lead to continued separation from the very Source of life.

Even though we often despise ²dependence, in the above examples dependence is good, not bad, because it helps sustains our lives.

Every day and every breath is a gift. It is not a guarantee or a right. Without God and all He provides, only death is certain, not life. Be grateful for your life and all it offers and seek to use it to honor the Giver.

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Footnotes:

¹Even though eating, drinking, and breathing are activities of dependence, we all love a good meal when hungry, a cold refreshing drink when thirsty, and fresh air when we are couped up in a place where the air is stale or unpleasant. We grow to love and appreciate these even more when we have gone through times when they were not readily available or were temporarily gone. 

Eating, drinking, and breathing are so much a part of our lives we do not see or treat the use of them as "acts of dependence." 

But this doesn't make them any less so. It simply indicates how much we take for granted the good things we have. It is only when we do not have them that we fully appreciate their value and the reality of our absolute life-or-death dependence on them.

In fact, isn't this the value of suffering? It makes us aware of our true status of being dependent creatures, i.e. it brings our understanding of who we are more in line with reality - a reality check if you will. 

Reality is good however, not bad. Living in the real world maximizes our flourishing and minimizes harm to us and others.

No one likes pain or suffering and many use it's existence to justify being angry at God when in truth they are designed to bring us back into alignment with our Creator.

It is not the gifts we despise, but our general dependence we dislike. We wish to be free of all "restraints." However, wouldn't we all be better off if we learned to embrace all the ways we are dependent in the same way we do these everyday gifts we usually take for granted, i.e. with gratitude?

It is worth noting that Christ characterized Himself as the bread and water of life. This assumes we need far more than just what this physical life offers. As believers these are comforting promises and we gladly embrace this truth about Christ.

²We are told in scripture that our very breath comes from God. And not only our breath but everything we are and have are gifts from our Creator, whether we acknowledge this or not and whether we use them as God intends - designs.

Unfortunately to not acknowledge this leads to the permanent loss of these gifts and all blessings of life. 

³When not aligned with our Creator, we not only cease to function well, but we ultimately go into eternity on this same course - i.e. without Him - but also without access to the creation we presently enjoy. For more on this click here.