Jesus did not live, die, and raise from the dead to make me an independent person. Wrapped in the purposes of his incarnation was actually the opposite purpose – the defeat of Satan’s strategy to always move me toward independence. Toward aloneness.
Independent people make a declaration – they don’t need others. They decide they can be emotionally and relationally healthy, spiritually healthy, and even physically healthy all by themselves. They can mature in isolation. No help needed. No advice needed.
But there is a problem with this thinking; it is wrong. And it is wrong because we were not created to be independent. To be loners. We desperately need each other, more than we are aware. In Genesis 2:18 God looked at Adam in his aloneness and said “It is not good that the man to be alone.” And so God made “a helper fit for him.”
Ever since that creation day in the Garden, it has been evil’s intent to make man alone because when he is alone “it is not good“. And so the serpent in the Garden devised a strategy to always make man desire to be alone, to hide. And so Adam and Eve hide from each other, they hide from God, and they hide from themselves. They see things in themselves they do not like and are fearful others will see.
What did the enemy use to plant this fear of being fully known so that we create fig leaf masks of independence and competence to hide behind? He planted the most dangerous emotion that exists in mankind. And what is that? That is next week’s blog!!
Processing question: Are there some hidden parts of your life that you have never let a trusted friend into? Where you are alone with your memories. What would they be? Who could you reveal them to so that they can embrace you with love and walk together with you into the light of God’s presence where there is healing and forgiveness?
Processing question: What is the difference between being free and being independent? Galatians 5:1 – “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.”
A personal note: No doubt you have noticed I have missed a few blogs over the past several weeks, but don’t worry I am not quitting my blogging. Intense ministry travel, sickness, time to process, and it just being summer have all contributed. I suspect there may be more occasional spottiness as the summer progresses, but what I have on my heart to share is deep and so don’t go away.