By Sister Sylvia Mitchell
If we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us. 2 Timothy 2:12
The second commandment Jesus left us is to love our neighbour as ourself (Mark 12:31). As we explore how to relate to one another, we will consider three terms: Dependence – ‘the state of relying on or being controlled by someone or something else’; Independence – ‘free from outside control; not subject to another’s authority’, and Interdependence – ‘of two or more people or things depending on each other’ (Oxford Dictionary).
What does the Bible say?
Dependence Proverbs 3: 5-6 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not to thine own understanding; in all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Psalm 121: 1-2,4 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
Independence Genesis 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
Interdependence 1 John 3:17 But whoso hath this world’s goods, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Luke 6:38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
When I was growing up, I was dependent on my parents for everything. As I matured, my parents slowly encouraged me to become more independent. One way of doing this was a ‘bank account’ they ‘opened’ for my pocket money. I could make a ‘withdrawal’ any time with the balance written in a book. Years later, in my final year of undergraduate studies at UWI, I was left in charge of the house and a real bank account with money in it. Then, my parents left the country for good, and eventually, I became totally independent of their financial contribution.
The Bible says every generation leaves their family home, and starts a new one (Genesis 2:24). But even when we are independent of our parents financially, Jesus says we must abide in Him, we must have child-like faith and trust Him and not our own understanding. He invites us to be Dependent on Him. We are exhorted to be free of, or Independent of sin (Galatians 5:1). Scriptures exhort us to consider another way to love our neighbour, that is, by being Interdependent, like members of a football team – helping one another, praying for one another, building up one another, feeding and serving one another, as the cells of the body serve each other. We are encouraged to honour our parents (Ephesians 6:2), to respect the elders (Numbers 11:16), so that we are never completely independent from our neighbour.
LET US PRAY
Dear God, thank You for empowering me to be independent from sin by being my strength through the Holy Spirit. You are interested in relationships that are rooted in love, that I build relationships with others that are edifying, that are mutually beneficial, and established in love.
Help me to develop healthy relationships where I am neither dependent on someone else for everything, nor independent from everyone. Instead, help me to sow seeds of love, prayer, time, energy, resources into other’s lives, whether they be my parents, spouse, children, siblings, church brother or sister, neighbour, or even a stranger. Lord, let my inconvenience bear fruits of righteousness as I extend a helping hand to someone else.
This we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.