Dependent or Independent?

While out driving yesterday, I was listening to Moody Radio and one of my favorite preachers, The Rev. Tony Evans. He was preaching on the conflict found in Genesis and the creation story. His statement, which caused me to pull over and write it down, was this: “The lesser who is dependent on God is greater than the greater who lives independent from God.” I kind of liked that!

Tony was right on … the conflict was over who was going to be in charge … God or Satan. Adam and Eve had a major decision to make … to be independent from God or to be dependent on God. Isn’t that the ongoing conflict of human nature? As we welcomed Eli into this world of ours my thoughts did jump ahead (even though I don’t wish for him to grow up too fast … but they always do) just a few years when he, along with his sister Ava, will begin to test the limits of his relationship with his mom and dad … as well as his grandparents, aunts and uncles. By the way, Ava has already started that process … ouch! Just too fast!

This testing of the limits will be the story of their lives as it has been ours. We tested the limits with our parents, then our college professors, then those placed in authority over us in our jobs and, sorry to say, but even with our spouse. Always pushing, desiring, wishing, hoping for a different outcome – but always testing that outward limits of just how far can I go without getting into too much trouble … seeking always to live an independent life from any body and any real responsibility.

Cannot you remember the thought process … cannot wait until I reach 16 then life will begin; cannot wait until I am able to drive; cannot wait until I am out of the home and on my own; cannot wait until I am married; cannot wait until I’m free of the daily grid of sitting in boring classes and writing term papers; cannot wait until the kids are grown and gone; cannot wait until I am retired; cannot wait … cannot wait … testing the limits … desiring to be free … independent from … only to hear, in the background, the slight laughter of God as he shakes his head saying, “Oh, you foolish person. If you only really knew what you are asking after all look where it got Adam and Eve. I had to throw them out of the Garden, making them live on their own, defend for themselves, make their own way in this world. If they had only listened … my plan was a whole lot better and much easier than the independent way they picked. The foolishness of men and women.”

It is our choice and Christ does making it inviting … we, the lesser, being dependent on God and empowered by the Holy Spirit, can really be greater than the greater, i.e. Satan and those who would do it the Devil’s way, trying so desperately and failing to living independent from God … but there really isn’t really any comparison between the two choices … is there? It is so much easier to do it God’s way … all to Jesus I surrender all to him I freely give!

Quote for today: Man, despite his artistic pretensions, his sophistication and many accomplishments, owes the fact of his existence to a six- inch layer of topsoil and the fact that it rains. Source Unknown.