Are You Celebrating Your Dependence and Interdependence this Thanksgiving?

On Thanksgiving Day, there is a shared tradition of celebration by giving thanks in an intentional way. We pause from the busyness of our lives. We prepare our hearts and minds by identifying our blessings. We gather with friends and family over a delicious meal. We express our thanks to God and others. We share our appreciation for one another. We serve others in a specific way. We praise God in worship with fellow believers in Christ (Ephesians 5:18-20).

On this day, we tend to focus more on being and less on the doing aspects of our lives (unless you’re cooking, working, parenting, or traveling). When we focus more on being, we become keenly aware of our humanness. We recognize our need for God and others. As much as we strive for independence and self-sufficiency, at our core, we are dependent on God and interdependent on one another. And that is a good thing. A very good thing.

Why? Because our sinful nature and society celebrate independence. This can be expressed through a tireless work ethic obsessed in striving to achieve the American Dream. We admire, reward, and celebrate others who put in the work (“paid their dues”) for their success, as if they did it alone. Sometimes this shows up as entitlement, a belief that we deserve things as a result of status, position, or privilege. This comes from a source of pride and self-centeredness which can diminish our motivation and focus to serve God and others. What is distinctive about an independence perspective is that we can deny or dismiss the influence and contribution of God and others in our life. At the same time, we do not need to deny or dismiss our own contributions to the blessings in our lives.

What is most challenging for you when it comes to independence?

There is nothing inherently wrong with being grateful for our accomplishments. Yet, nothing that we have, own, or receive is truly self-made. Others have contributed to who we are, what we achieve, and why and how we serve and vice versa. We are really interdependent on one another. We influence one another, for better or worse. We are interconnected in dependent ways. This is very different from co-dependency. Co-dependent individuals can enable, rescue, overly depend, and seek approval from others because they struggle with the capacities of independence; being a separate person. Their identity becomes enmeshed with the other person and is therefore really a shared identity between them. Whereas individuals in interdependent relationships don’t lose their identity, sense of self or separateness. In fact, as a positive outcome, each person mutually benefits from the relationship. What is truly special about interdependent relationships is the fruit. The harvest bears more fruit in our lives than what could exist or be accomplished alone.

Are you enmeshed in a co-dependent relationship? If so, what pulls you in?

What gets in the way for you to engage in interdependent relationships?

However, with God, we are dependent on Him. For in Him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17: 28 NIV). It is not an interdependent relationship because He doesn’t need anything from us. Afterall He is God. Yet, He calls us His child, friend, and a citizen and heir of His Heavenly Kingdom. God is the giver and source of everything, here and for all eternity! From this perspective, we are called to praise Him (Psalm 9:1; 139:13-14; 150:6; Colossians 3:16), live a godly life (Romans 12:1-2; Galatians 5:22-23; ), and share the Gospel with others (Matthew 28:18-20).

Our response to God, is a daily focus on stewardship and service for Him and for the sake of others. At the heart of this is receiving unconditional love from God and Christian love from others. Additionally, we express thanks to God and others for their love. The unconditional love of God, our Father and His only Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior, and the gift of His Holy Spirit is to be shared with others for eternal purposes. Eternal life (John 3:16) is the ultimate gift to give praise and thanksgiving to God. The best part, we cannot earn it . We are completely dependent on Jesus for our salvation and His Holy Spirit to come to faith in Him.

In what ways do you struggle to be dependent on God?

How will you celebrate your dependence and interdependence this Thanksgiving Day?

I encourage you to be intentional about giving thanks for the blessings in your life that specifically identify God and others as the source. This is not to deny or dismiss your contributions. Rather it’s an invitation to shift your focus on this special day.

However, if you want to take this to the next level, identify how you use your gifts that God has given you to be a blessing to Him and others that requires you to step out in faith. This requires courage to get out of your comfort zone to respond to a specific need God invites you to meet. And it’s all for His glory!

Take a step back from yourself as the source of your blessings and instead step into gratefulness for God and others with a humble spirit.

Will you do me a favor? Please comment how you celebrated your dependence and interdependence this Thanksgiving. I will. Will you?

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever! (I Chronicles 16:34 ESV)