The Dignity of Dependence1
A Key to Christian Life and Mission in a Post-Pandemic World
By Asiri Fernando
The society that we live in tells us that we need to be independent. It is part of growing up, to determine our own future, career, relationships and finances. Unfortunately, this drive to be a mature and independent person often results in a lesser dependence on God. Trusting and obeying God seems to come into our minds, only when we are in some kind of trouble.
In this article, Asiri Fernando gives us a biblical perspective on what it means to be dependent on God and at the same time, have interdependent support from our Christian community. May our faith be solidly grounded in trusting the Lord for our destiny.
In an age of self-sufficiency and one-upmanship, it may seem counterproductive to talk about dependence. For many, dependence is a sign of undignified weakness. However, nature itself teaches us that dependence is key to our existence. We enter into this world in a state of total dependence. And those who boast of achieving great feats of human strength become fully dependent on others as they reach old age.
For the Christian, dependence is everything. At the heart of sin is our pride-filled independence from God and our salvation is achieved on the bedrock of total dependence on the finished work of Christ’s death and resurrection. We depend on the Holy Spirit for our sanctification and Christian service.
However, dependence is not simply part of our vertical relationship with God but an essential aspect in our horizontal relationships with one another. As we shall see, a spirit of dependence within the body of Christ may be a key to Christian life and mission in a post-pandemic era.
1. Dependence and the Kingdom of God
Our dependence on one another naturally flows from the primacy of dependence in the kingdom of God. In the Old Testament, dependence is often associated with the poor. Necessity caused the poor to look to God for help. God’s special concern for the poor is evident especially in the Psalms (e.g. 9:18, 10:14, 12:5, 34:6).
Following suit Jesus in his first sermon on earth quotes Isaiah saying, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor” (Luke 4:17-19). The Sermon on the Mount has a similar emphasis. Luke’s version says, “Blessed are the poor, for yours is the kingdom of God” (Luke 6:20). God was reaching out to those who were in a state of dependence.
The poor “in spirit”
Matthew’s version of the sermon reads poor in spirit (5:3), pointing to the necessity of spiritual dependence. As the poor acknowledge their material poverty and earnestly look to God, the poor in spirit understand their spiritual poverty and turn to God for their salvation. The poor in spirit are then those who acknowledge their sinfulness before a holy God, that they are spiritually bankrupt2 and have nowhere to turn to, but God!
Total dependence is central to Jesus’ teaching on entering the kingdom of God. Jesus points to the necessity of having child-like dependence (Matt 8:3) and gives a strong warning to the rich who depended on their material possessions making it harder for them to enter God’s kingdom (Matt 19:24).
>>READ: Declaring Dependence – apart from me you can do nothing
And so we acknowledge our helplessness like the tax collector in Jesus’ parable who beat his breasts and cried out, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” (Luke 18:13), and thank God that he has “…chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?” (James 2:5b).
Our sanctification is wholly the work of God (1 Thes 5:23) and so we humbly and earnestly depend on God’s help, for our sake, and for those in our lives, that “God will keep us blameless for the day of Christ” (1 Thes 5:24, Phil 1:10).
Christ was perfect in every way yet exemplified a dependent spirit when he said, “the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing…” (John 5:19). He modelled humble dependence when he prayed all night before choosing the disciples (Luke 6:12) and praying on behalf of their sanctification (John 17).
True power in life and ministry
Paul was often weakened and pressured to the point of total dependence (2 Cor 11:24-28). This dependence unleashed the power of God in his ministry (2 Cor 12:9, 1 Cor 15:10, Col 1:29). Hudson Taylor said, “All God’s giants have been weak men who did great things for God because they reckoned on God being with them.”
God’s power is available to those who are in a place of weakness and dependence. It is said that when Charles Spurgeon would mount the pulpit he would repeat to himself, “I believe in the Holy Spirit, I believe in the Holy Spirit.. and so on”.
My wife and I recently had an interview for my son’s Grade 1 admission to school. I struggled to get words out of my mouth. I had always struggled with speech especially at tense moments like this. Later on I shared this to someone who rebuked me saying, “You should have got over this by now.”
I smiled and nodded. I knew this was where God’s power was being made perfect especially in my calling to preach and teach. It was my place of dependence, so that when God comes to my help, he can receive all the glory.
>>READ: Asking God for directions is more than okay – it’s best
And if he allows me to struggle as in the interview, I can say with the psalmist, “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 73:26). I am reminded of my father saying how he would be silently crying out, “Please God, please God help” in his mind when trying to solve an issue with my mother. Perhaps the greatest secret for Spirit-filled service is to never lose that sense of dependence on God.
2. Dependence within the Body of Christ
Isn’t it fascinating that the creator of the universe was so dependent as he took on flesh? His mother changed his nappies as a little baby. He depended on his parents to feed him, bathe him, clothe him and teach him as a child. Women financially supported his earthly ministry. In his weakest hour Simon helped carry the cross for him, and on the cross in great thirst he had to ask for water. Jesus exuded a heart of dependence. The all-sufficient Lord of the universe exemplified dependence on earth, giving us an example to follow (1 John 2:6).
>>READ: Dependence Day – Fourth of July?
What about self-sustainability?
Proverbs talks about how we must work hard and store up for the future (Prov 6:6-8). This is a commendable way to live and may be encouraged. Most importantly, these passages address the lifestyle of a sluggard who is not willing to work hard.
In Acts 20:34-35, Paul mentions how his hands ministered to his needs and those around him. But it is clear his greater concern was working hard to support the weak (v35). Jesus’ parable of the rich fool who was more concerned about storing up instead of being rich towards God is jarringly clear! (Luke 12:13-21).
Conversely, in his letter to the Philippians, Paul mentions how they cared for his personal needs (Phil 4:15-18). He celebrated this dependent relationship and again was less concerned about himself but the fruit that increases to their credit (v17).
Paul was content and he was not worried about his own needs. In faith he could tell the Philippians, “my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (v19). So by working hard, Paul supported himself – but mostly the weak – and when in need he embraced those who joyfully supported him.
3. Dependence and Holiness
Following “Blessed are the poor in spirit” (Matt 5:3) is “blessed are those who mourn” (v4). Jesus is referring to those who are so sensitive to sin that they mourn over it. After around one year of discipling a young leader in Youth for Christ, one day, this leader confessed a sin to me. While part of me was sorry that he did it, another part of me was rejoicing that a spirit of contrition was upon him. He had become sensitive to sinning against God and wanted to bring it to light (1 John 1:7-8) and seek help.
James 5:16 says to “confess your sins to one another”. Dependence on friends who acknowledge the seriousness of sin, yet see each other through the eyes of grace is crucial in our pursuit of holiness. Yet how many overlook this kind of dependence? Paul urges young Timothy to “Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (2 Tim 2:22).
How many Christian leaders could have avoided serious moral failure if they sought the help of a few friends early on in their ministry? And how many rash, unwise – and often life-altering – decisions could have been avoided with the wise counsel of friends (Prov 27:9).
Sinful pride insists on its own way, refusing to depend on God or people. But as we grow closer to the heart of God we embrace dependence on him and others. Coming under the counsel and strength of a few friends, leaders or a ministry board is embracing a God-ordained means for security and longevity in ministry.
Furthermore, superficial relationships in a highly-connected world have resulted in an epidemic of loneliness in society. Anxiety, depression and addictions have preyed on this demise of authentic connection. As the writer of Ecclesiastes says, “woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!” (Ecc 4:12). Oh, that we pursue and depend on the friend “who is closer than a brother” (Prov 18:24b).
Partnership in mission
Much of church growth around the world has been through the independent church movement. Many of them are house churches. However, the recent pandemic and its lockdowns brought severe challenges, even hunger, to many non-urban pastors that depended on their daily income job or the weekly tithes of the people. Churches that were too isolated from the rest of the body of Christ struggled.
Mutual burdensomeness
Our oneness with Christ must not be divorced from the truth that the church is together one body in Christ. Jesus said we’re one with Christ and one with each other (John 17:21). The church belongs to one another” (Rom 12:5 NIV) – the language of married couples! Crucial to this oneness is learning to “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal 6:2). That means we not only carry the burdens of others but let others carry our burdens. John Stott rightly calls this “mutual burdensomeness”3. This truth, weak as it sounds, may be an indispensable key to world mission in a post-pandemic world.
>>READ: Help me to humbly receive the help of others
The vanguard of Evangelicalism has steadily shifted to countries like China and the global south. The number of missionaries sent from places like Brazil (35,000) and South Korea (30,000) is a testament to the spiritual vitality that exists in these regions4. Fascinatingly, a 2013 report by Gordon-Conwell’s Center for the Study of Global Christianity showed Palestine as the nation sending the greatest number of missionaries per capita (of the Christian population).5
Yet 95% of pastors worldwide have no theological training!6. The greatest need for training is in the majority world. Meanwhile the increased materialism and secularisation in developed nations calls for an urgent spiritual awakening in the west. So then, what is the role of dependence in global missions?
4. Dependence and Global Missions
I work for Youth for Christ (YFC) in Sri Lanka and over the years we have tried to embrace a posture of dependence in our ministry. As a result, the body of Christ in developed nations like Singapore have graciously supported and cared for our many needs. During the recent pandemic, Singapore YFC trained us in digital evangelism! With increased dependence we have been able to mobilise more labourers to blaze new trails for the Gospel.
But that is not the end of the story. Sri Lanka is full of prayer warriors and the Singaporean body of Christ can depend on them. Many of our top leaders in YFC are from impoverished and harsh backgrounds, and perhaps the greatest lessons I have learned from them is the desperation and persistence in which they cry out to God. The majority world is less time-driven, and would perhaps more easily persevere in prayer at the feet of God. This is a significant way through which we can bless developed nations.
What explosive spiritual power would emerge if the majority world would unite in praying for a mighty revival in post-Christian Europe? And what if developed nations make a rallying cry to the majority world to pray for them? This requires a heart of dependence. Moreover, the developed world can be greatly blessed by the penetrative insight that comes from applying the Bible in contexts of hardship and suffering.
Paul also constantly asked for prayer for his ministry and personal needs7. He makes a distinction between Christ’s direct help to him and Christ’s help through the prayers of the saints (Phil 1:19). Paul knew that when others prayed for him there was power. How much do we depend on the prayers of the saints for our families, our marriages and ministry? Humbly asking for prayer is a beautiful expression of the oneness of the body of Christ. Embrace it!
5. Dependence for the Sake of the Poor
Many majority world leaders are hungry for theological education. However in their hunger they must proactively ask for help. Those who have the humility to ask must take this role seriously.
Paul himself vigorously sought the help of churches in order to support the poorer parts of the body of Christ, namely the Jerusalem Christians in need of financial support (1 Cor 16:1-4, 2 Cor 8, 9). By seeking help, Paul embraced the dignity of dependence and the poorer parts of the body of Christ were blessed!
There was also a spirit of dependence in Jesus’ ministry as women and many others were financially providing for the work (Luke 8:1-3). As the text says, they “provided for them out of their means”. The early church also exemplified mutual burdensomeness even as they shared all things in common (Acts 4:32).
6. Dependence and the Redistribution of Missionaries
Over the last few years, the country that I have prayed for the most next to my own is Japan. Out of the 127 million population, there are less than 1% evangelical Christians8. Yet there are missionaries from around 33 nations in Japan. It seems a great need is mobilising labourers from among the Japanese people to take the lead in reaching the 126 million people headed for a Christless eternity.9
On the other hand there are now more than 2,000 Korean theologians who have Ph.D. or Ed.D. degrees, and are finding it difficult to get teaching positions in Korea. As Bong Rin Ro points out, this calls for a redistribution of missionaries among the nations. 10
>>READ: Asking God for help – learning to depend on Him
How urgent is the need to mobilise, give training and theological education to the locals of these vastly unreached nations? We could be entering the heyday of mobilisation. But for this to be a reality, a dependent spirit must enter the church.
7. Dependence in the Grassroots – Reaching Postmoderns
Dependence may be a key factor in reaching a generation of postmoderns to whom the absolute truth of the gospel may sound arrogant. However if the “arrogant-sounding” message is brought by those who have brought themselves low or humbled themselves, they are more ready to listen.
Two ways to have a posture of humility before this generation is humbly serving them (Luke 22:27) and humbly asking for help (John 4:7-9). I will focus on the latter. 11
In Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman, Jesus was tired and came in weakness and asked for water. Jesus broke many social, cultural, racial and moral barriers by asking for water. Jesus humbly asks for help before speaking truth into her life. In our work when we organise large-scale talent shows for those of other faiths with the purpose of serving them, we also ask those from other faiths to help in some way, like using their artistic talents to help paint backdrops etc.
When we ask for help we are acknowledging that they have something we don’t. Consequently they are more open to hearing what we have but they don’t, namely Jesus! Through dependence we meet people at their highest. And that will open many doors for the gospel.
Oh, what spiritual power would emerge if the body of Christ would adorn herself with dependence. We have seen the greater glory of Christ and we will inherit his everlasting kingdom, so for the sake of his name, his church and the millions who are broken, lost and headed for a Christless eternity, let us embrace the dignity of dependence.
About the Author
Asiri Fernando graduated from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (MDiv) in Chicago, Illinois, and is now leading the Youth for Christ work in the mountain regions of Sri Lanka. Asiri was also recently accepted as an Our Daily Bread author. He is married to Cheryl and they have two children.
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