Independence or in dependence?

The founders of the United States of America risked everything to form a nation that would be different from any other. Independence and freedom were their goals, and many believed they were fools for taking on a world power like Great Britain.
Our war for independence was won. A person could say that independence is woven into the fabric of our nation and a part of the DNA of every citizen. We are a fiercely independent bunch.
Growing up, I dreamed of the day when I could make all my own decisions. I looked forward to being an adult and not having to always do what I was told. I wanted to be independent.
The older I got and the more independent I became, the more I recognized that I needed relationships with people. As I read the Bible, I learned that I was not created by God to live my life completely independently. We were created by God for community – community  with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and community with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
In 1 Peter 2:9 (NIV) we read, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” As we can see, the Bible reveals that God didn’t call a person to be his chosen person or one person his royal priest and a nation of one. He chose people to be his royal priesthood and a holy nation. We were not created or saved to be independent. We were created and saved by Jesus’ death on the cross so that we could live together as a community of people belonging to God.
We must continue to make every effort to become one nation under God. It is time we think about what independence really means. We are to live in-dependence on God and in relationship with each other instead of trying to be so independent.