April 28, 2024
5th Sunday of Easter
The Power of Dependence
Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.
John 15:5
I remember moments of my adolescence when I began to feel my independence from my parents. Starting high school, first job, driver’s license—all were small steps that led eventually to the necessary separation between child and parent.
As we mature in faith, God asks the opposite of us—not independence from God we no longer need but, rather, the growing realization of how much we need God. Jesus asks not for the boldness of “I can do it alone” but for a radical dependence and recollection that we are children of God, never made to go it alone.
Today, offer your adult responsibilities and independence back to God. Let go of something that burdens you and let God take control.
Acts 9:26-31 • Psalm 22:26-28, 30-32 • 1 John 3:18-24 • John 15:1-8