Are you tired of feeling like you have to do it all on your own? Learn how dependence on God can lead to true strength and success.
“If you’re like me, you probably hate that feeling of being in over your head. You know, in whatever sphere of life— in leadership and business, in your home. What if we thought about that just a little bit differently?
Marketplace skills are missionary skills. Recently, I was praying about a situation in my life that had me a little bit over my head. That’s not abnormal as a leader in any sphere of this life, from the home to the classroom, to the government, to the business world. I was just feeling it extra heavy that morning.
As a business leader desperate to be led by the Holy Spirit, some days I find myself at my wit’s end. A big decision looming, sometimes with massive financial implications; a call I have to make that could impact people or the long-term trajectory of our organization. I’m sure all of you can relate in one way or another; some days are just heavier than others.
As I expressed my concern to the Lord, I actually heard myself say out loud, “Lord, I just want to move past this sense of feeling like I’m in need all of the time. It’s exhausting.” And as that phrase passed my lips, the insanity of it hit my ears.
You see, I know I was made to exist in an ongoing state of dependence on Jesus. I know I am incomplete when I try to function on my own and in my own power. I know self-sufficiency is a sin-fueled desire to operate outside of the very fabric of my creation. The Apostle Paul confirmed this for us in Acts 17:28 when he wrote, “In him we live and move and exist.” We literally exist inside of Him. And Jesus himself even said, “For apart from me you can do nothing.” He told us we could accomplish zero, nothing of Eternal Kingdom value, disconnected from Him. And He told us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” Daily, as in tomorrow you’re going to need me to give you more. You see, these verses remind me that my need is not a weakness; it’s a fundamental aspect of my relationship with Christ. As they say, it’s a feature, it’s not a bug. It’s the way God designed us to be connected, to be plugged in, in constant need of Him.
But if I’m honest, what I really want from God, what I really want when I pray, is for God to answer me, to bless me to the point that I don’t feel that sense of need anymore. Isn’t that true? You know, we don’t want daily bread that God holds and that we have to trust Him to willingly share with us. We want a war chest that’s 100% in our own possession, that we can see and touch and control. After all, God might parse things out to me the way He sees fit or in amounts that He has decided are good for me, instead of the way that I desire or would design.
My flesh dreams of finally shaking that nagging sense of requiring something bigger than myself to survive. But God loves me too much for that. See, He knows I was made to live in an ongoing relationship of trust and dependence on Him. It’s the way I was crafted and designed, even though my sin nature kicks against it and wants to be autonomous and in complete control. I was created to rest in Him always, every day, constant dependence and connection, daily bread.
So, is there a situation in your life, your leadership, your family, your work right now that is reminding you how much you need the Lord? Do you hate that feeling of being dependent? Try this with me: what if we reimagine that uncomfortable sense of need as a blessing to embrace instead of a hurdle to overcome?
