Dependent

In the book of Acts the Holy Spirit records some of a discussion between the Apostle Paul and certain philosophers in at Mars Hill. While unfolding a path to the gospel Paul says “in him we live, and move, and have our being”. His point to these unsaved men was that they still were dependent upon God for everything.

Having spent the better part of two months in the hospital over the last six months, and not being allowed to walk because of the healing of my fused ankle, and having to be dependent overall on my family for almost everything, I fight frustration. But in the midst of it all (I am writing while in a hospital bed) which includes a continuing serious infection, I asked the Lord to teach me something spiritual about my experience. This is some of what I’ve learned.

One of the most difficult principles for a believer to learn is to acknowledge and even embrace our total dependence of the Lord. We seem to be good at acknowledging our dependence upon Christ for our salvation, that is our strong suit. But when it comes to resting in Christ for our everyday lives, we come up short. In my situation when you are accustomed to working, driving, and generally being in charge of your own daytimer only to find all of that removed from your control, you then realize how dependent you’ve become upon yourself and how subtly you have allowed God to be a spectator.

Now it isn’t that I purposely and disrespectfully pushed the Lord aside, but we can be blinded by our own management while giving lip service to God’s control. Do we ever worry? That is one of the symptoms of self management. Do we get impatient or frustrated over things that do not go as we had planned? Do we take some pride over being self sufficient? All these thing and more creep into our lives and deceive us into thinking we are moving in God’s Spirit when we actually can be operating in the flesh.

So here I lay in the hospital again and I ask two things from my brethren. Lift up my name to the Father in Jesus’ name, and ask God to help you depend entirely upon Him for everything. God bless all of you and especially Bless the Lord O my soul!