When we have kids one of our goals is to raise good independent children who can take care of themselves and thrive as adults.  We do everything we can to provide them with what they need when they are children, but we also teach them the necessary skills to eventually provide all of that for themselves.  We hope one day they will get a job, move out, and support themselves.  This theory works wonders with children.  This theory does not work so well when applied to our relationship with God.  God does not run on the theory of "I hope to teach my children everything they need to know to make them independent of me someday!".  Unfortunately we like to think sometimes we are independent of God.

There is a huge problem with this theory, and that is this.  Independence doesn’t get us very far with God! God is not waiting for us to say "I know it all now-I can do it without you".  Opposite completely from this He is waiting for us to rely on Him in our entirety, for us to depend on Him completely despite our need, despite what may think we need, He desires for us to depend completely and wholly on Him to provide us what He knows we need.  Matthew 6:8 says in part "your Father knows what you need before you ask him."  That is a powerful statement.  God already knows our need!  So why should we not ask Him to give us what we need when we know He already knows what that something is?  If He knows what it is why would we want to go around searching for something we might not find?  Here is the other part of that, we know if we ask He will give us what we ask for!  In John 14:13-14 Christ tells us that in his very own words.  So if we know God knows what we need, He will give it to us if we ask, then we ought to be asking Him to give it to us!

Even more powerfully then this, our independence fails to recognize the proper place of God in our lives.  When we decide that we are in charge of what is happening, that we are going to walk our own way and tell God see you later, we are forgetting an important key.  Romans 11:36 says "For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen." (Rom 8:36 NIV )  If we look at this we see that from Him, God, all things have come.  He is the source of all things.  All things are possible through Him, He is the means by which things continue.  The glory goes to God for all things.  We can not be independent from that which is our source and sustainer!

The other problem with independence is it fails to properly recognize God as the source and sustainer of our very being.  When we do that it makes it very difficult to go to God for what we actually need as opposed to looking for what we think we need, or trying to solve our problem on our own.  When we are in the midst of trial, we need to stop telling ourselves and God "I can do it on my own" and say "God I know you know what I need, please give that to me."  When we set aside our false sense of independence and recognize God as our source and sustainer the Anvil becomes much easier to lay on.  The path becomes easier to see because we began asking God for what we need rather then seeking something we may not find on our own.  So remember Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."  and start asking God for what you need, that which He already knows.