In other articles in this issue of The Christian the Lord Jesus is portrayed as the perfect, dependent Man. As always, when we want to look for perfection in any moral and spiritual realm, we must bring Christ in. He was the One who, as man, exemplified perfection in dependence here in this world. However, perhaps we could explore what true dependence is from a practical point of view, in the day in which we are living. That is, what is true perfection as it relates to those who still have a will of their own, who still possess a sinful nature, and who perhaps have some confidence in their natural abilities? When times are good and things are going well, it is easy to define dependence to ourselves in a simplistic way as that state of mind that does not pretend to any strength of its own, but rather leans on the strength of another. Perhaps in our definition we might also include that we should not have a will of our own, but rather seek to do the Lord’s will. But when times get tough and things are not going well, we may think differently about dependence.
Before we consider what constitutes true dependence, let us look at some attitudes that may pass for dependence, but are not really reliance on the Lord in the right way.
Carelessness
First of all, dependence on the Lord does not consist of leading a careless, sloppy life and then saying, “I am depending on the Lord.” No, God is a God of order and discipline, and we cannot expect the Lord to look after us when we are not diligent in our day-to-day responsibilities. I remember visiting with a dear brother and his family (more than 50 years ago), and even as a young man I could see that he was not running his business in a right way. They were evidently short of money, yet when I accompanied him on a service call to a customer, I watched him perform a good service for someone who certainly should have paid for it. However, he did not charge the customer, and when I remarked on it during the drive back, his response was, “My Father will look after me, but don’t tell my wife!” In one way his philanthropy was nice, but this is not what Scripture means by telling us to be dependent on the Lord.
The Lord’s Mind
Another corollary of this kind of thinking is that we may make up our mind about what we wish to do, without adequately seeking the Lord’s mind. Then we may say that we are depending on the Lord to enable us to accomplish what we have decided. I remember a young Christian girl who wanted to marry a certain boy (apparently a believer), and most of us who knew them both did not think it was a good idea. When she was spoken to about the inadvisability of the marriage, her only response was, “The Lord is able.” Yes, the Lord is certainly able, but He does not bless that which is the product of our own will. The young couple went ahead with the marriage, and as we had predicted, it ended in disaster and divorce.
Another type of false dependence is when we feel the need of the Lord’s help, but then, instead of waiting upon Him, we become anxious and frightened, and perhaps try this or that, wanting in our own way to deal with the problem. Yes, as we have noted earlier in this article, we are not to neglect our own proper responsibilities in our lives, but there are also times when, like Israel on the bank of the Red Sea, we must “stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord” (Ex. 14:1313And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will show to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. (Exodus 14:13)). When there seemed no human way out of the difficulty, you will remember that the children of Israel became very afraid and even wanted to return to Egypt as slaves again. They did not realize that the Lord had everything under control. Again, this is not dependence on the Lord.
Plan B
Another common type of false dependence is to pretend to rely on the Lord, but then to have what is commonly called a “plan B” in the back of our minds. While we might not admit it, even to ourselves, this is really saying that since the Lord might not honor my faith, I need to have some other plan to fall back on, in case the Lord does not look after me. Once again, this is not real dependence on the Lord. We need to remember that while the Lord may test our faith, He will never disappoint our faith. If He does not do what we ask, we have to understand that He loves us dearly and will always act for our good and blessing.
Dependence
What then is true dependence? It is, first of all, a walk that is in communion with the Lord. Without this there can be no real dependence on Him. If we are truly saved, we are indwelt with the Spirit of God and can walk in continuous fellowship with the Lord. Our Lord Jesus Christ was the perfect example of this, and thus could discern the will of His Father, even when circumstances might seem to indicate some other course of action. God’s strength is behind us when we are in the pathway of His will, but He cannot support us in a wrong course.
Second, true dependence recognizes that although we are to carry out our everyday responsibilities faithfully, we must always recognize our need for dependence. When Peter was walking to the Lord Jesus on the water, he became frightened when he saw the wind boisterous. But without the Lord’s power, he could no more walk on smooth water than on rough water. So also we can no more deal with normal daily situations than with major problems, without dependence on the Lord. King Asa (2 Chron. 14) spent ten peaceful years fortifying Judah, yet when trouble came, he faced an army much larger than his own. He recognized his need for the Lord’s help and cried to Him. As a result, he won a great victory.
Wait on God
Third, true dependence recognizes the need to wait on God and to let Him deal with the situation in His time. King Saul did not realize this, and he “forced himself” and offered a sacrifice, when Samuel did not come as quickly as Saul expected. How many times in our lives we are tempted to “force ourselves” because of a lack of dependence on the Lord! Both David and Job had to learn to wait on the Lord, and having learned this, David could say, “Wait on the Lord ... wait, I say, on the Lord” (Psa. 27:1414Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord. (Psalm 27:14)). Job was wisely told by Elihu, “Although thou sayest thou dost not see Him, judgment is before Him, therefore wait for Him” (Job 35:1414Although thou sayest thou shalt not see him, yet judgment is before him; therefore trust thou in him. (Job 35:14) JND). God’s timing is always right.
Difficult Situations
Fourth, real dependence understands that sometimes the Lord allows us to go through a difficult situation, rather than delivering us from it. We speak with all reverence when we say that the Lord Jesus was perfectly dependent on His Father when He said prophetically, “Our fathers trusted in Thee: they trusted, and Thou didst deliver them” (Psa. 22:44Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them. (Psalm 22:4)). But then He had to say of Himself, “I am ... a reproach of men, and despised of the people” (Psa. 22:66But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. (Psalm 22:6)). In spite of His dependence on God, His cry was heard but not answered. He must go through the awful suffering of the cross, but there was that perfect confidence that God would bring Him through it.
Strength Through Weakness
Finally, we must appreciate that the Lord sometimes takes away some of our natural strength in order that we may rely more on His strength. Our natural hearts do not like this, for we like to feel strong and able to manage our own lives. This happened to the Apostle Paul, as we have already seen, and then he could write, quoting what the Lord said to him, “My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:99And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2 Corinthians 12:9)). If we act in our own strength, we tend to take the credit for it. If something is done in the Lord’s strength, we give Him the glory. He must have all the glory in the end; let us give Him the glory while we are still in this world.
W. J. Prost