Your Personal Independence Day

4th of July is the date of Americans celebrating our independence from the tyrannical rule of Britain's government. America was truly justified in seeking independence from Britain's selfish, ungodly rule. Their implementation of God's law was unfair, and unequal.  From that day we established a system based on Godly principles found in the Holy Bible to maintain an indepence from evil-doing to our fellow Americans. This was the birth of America's independence from Britain, and America's dependency on God as a nation!

 The essence of our personal individuality as a person is an independent spirit. God created us to have a self-preserving nature to keep us alive. To be otherwise is not normal. Our nature tends to personal experimentation and implementation of what we see before us! As we mature, we assess our circumstances and make judgments about what our behavior should be. This thought process leads us to decide if we need to act.

When we allow our independent spirit to be ruled or motivated by anything other than love not only for ourself, but also those around us, our independence may become a dangerous and destructive force. This is the force of selfishness. Selfishness (putting ourselves first) can be directly counterproductive to God's purpose for each of us.

God's wise plan is for each of us to be willing to consider Him first, and others next, in the same manner we would want to be treated. Note the order in God's greatest commandments to us:

1. "For thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment." Matthew 22:37-38

2. Next, "And the second is like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."  Matthew 22:39

This order is the antithesis of how we usually want to act, ie.  do "our own thing". No, no way...every action has a reaction and effect on both ourselves and others.

I am thinking of a story that illustrates how most of us are. A pie is placed before a family of four. One child is directed to "cut a piece first". Thinking that he is cutting a piece for himself, he cuts a rather disproportionately large piece. The parent then says, " Okay, give that piece to your brother. and pass the knife back to me." Then the pie is cut into three equal smaller parts and distributed to the three remaining family members.

We are most like that child. We really want the "biggest piece of the pie". But God our Heavenly father is a parent that will not let us live independently. Even when we are not surrounded by others, we should ask His desire first, since He is ever present, then we act as He directs.

Remember, we do not live independently of others. To do so is wrong and will lead to an evil, unfair way of life. God's formula works! Try it!