DEPENDENT

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without me you can do nothing.”  John 15:5 (NKJV)

Only in America, we celebrate the Fourth of July. This is our special holiday, celebrating when the 13 colonies declared their independence from England. Of course, this did not happen overnight. It was a long war fought with many lives lost. The end result was a nation built on freedom.

There is another war many of us are fighting even today. Instead of being independent, we seek to be dependent. It is our desire to be a serious follower of Jesus. It is a long drawn out battle that keeps us on our guard.

The Christian life is a paradox. As Christians, we are to strive to be like Jesus. But there is a problem. We are only human. In our own power we fall short of this goal. It is through Jesus, The Vine, which we can tap into, that gives us true power.

This can only be accomplished through the weapons of reading and studying His Word. Another weapon at our disposal, is the power of prayer. Unpretentious, authentic prayer helps us to stay connected, in other words, to abide in Jesus.

My desire is to be totally and eternally dependent on Jesus.  I am declaring my independence from the influences of this world and reinforcing my complete dependence on the One who died to set me free.

As I watch the fireworks light up the night sky, I will celebrate the freedom that comes from Jesus.

Lord, help me to remember both our country’s independence and my dependence on You, the true Vine.

©2016 Dawn Sexton.