"Many Small Dependences"
Mentor Mom Moment with Kitty Rodelius
I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit;
apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5
My phone was broken and out of warranty. No problem, I won’t mind a few days off the grid... or so I thought. What began as a minor inconvenience quickly illuminated just how dependent I was on my phone for everything.
First, there was the emotional and mental dependence that was exposed as I mindlessly reached for my phone several times that day. My mind had difficulty being bored. My spirit had difficulty simply being.
Then there were the functional difficulties of being phoneless. I couldn’t log in to work documents. I was completely cut off from non-iPhone users. My husband and I had to coordinate meeting locations and times. I had to wear a watch just to know what time it was.
How had I become so dependent on my phone to the point where I was nonfunctional without it?
I wish I could say I lived with this kind of dependence on God. To be honest, it sometimes takes a while for me to feel the effects of “God withdrawals” when I skip my Bible reading or go days without praying.
Using the analogy of a vine and branches in John 15, Jesus spoke with His disciples about a life of abiding in Him: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).
As we remain relationally connected and dependent on Jesus — the source of all life and goodness — we flourish and bear fruit that will last. I don’t know about you, but I’m certain the fruit of a life dependent on Christ far surpasses the fruit of our dependence on anything else apart from Him. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness …
Yes, I want more of that! But how?
Maybe it’s not as daunting as it seems. It wasn’t one major decision that led to my unhealthy dependence on my phone but many smaller ones. Perhaps cultivating a life dependent on Christ is the result of many small dependences.
- Instead of filling my time with mindless scrolling, I can fill my mind with God’s Word and let it dwell in my heart richly (Colossians 3:16).
- Instead of turning to Google for the answers to my questions or crowdsourcing advice, I can seek out the wisdom of Christ (James 1:5-6).
- Instead of reflexively reaching for my phone when I’m bored, I can pray (Colossians 1:9).
- Instead of many brief touchpoints on social media, I can spend time fellowshipping in person with other believers (Hebrews 10:24-25) or connecting with my non-Christian friends.
The new year offers a chance to reflect on the life we’re living and the life we want to live. May we ponder the many small opportunities we have every day to live in intentional dependence on Christ above all else.
God, help us to live in daily dependence on You, our source of life and every good thing. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” Colossians 3:16
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” James 1:5-6
“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives.” Colossians 1:9
“ And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another- and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:24-25
Comments
Post a Comment