Weakness illuminates needs

Total independence. I can do everything alone. I don’t need anyone or anything. When we are moved against our will, we kick and scream and fight with every fiber of our being. Functioning independently causes God to propel us to dependency. Dependency is not a natural function, we need to learn and grow and develop dependency on others and on God.

Everyone is happy in their solitary world. We tend to shy from dependency, bothering someone for something or to do something shows weakness in who we are as people. Weakness is what we fear, not dependency, for dependency cast away fear. Dependency gathers all those untruths we believe about ourselves together, casting them into the care, love, hope and joy of a community committed to learning, growing, and developing dependency on others and on God.

The greatest truth and mystery and nightmare about dependency-God will not let us learn it independently. When we buy into the untruths of self-sufficiency and autonomy, the lesson of dependency becomes a nightmare. When we are characterized not by “I can do everything on my own” rather “we need everyone to do some things”. God will use the mystery of truth, no matter how big or small, strong or weak, to propel us into dependency on others and on Him alone.

Our pilgrimage from independent to dependent is through weakness. “My strength is made perfect in weakness”. Jesus is constantly tempted to forsake His dependency on the Father to a life lived independently. Weakness is not illuminated by needs, rather weakness illuminates needs. “Man does not live by bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Needs create dependency on others and on God.