It’s good to declare your independence, but it’s even better to declare your dependence on God.

The Declaration of Independence happened long before 1776. In fact, humankind declared its independence from God in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve believed the lie that they could live independent of God. Since then, we humans have been constantly struggling to do it our way.

God knows that true independence from Him is impossible. There’s no way we can function effectively if we are cut off from His help. We are like branches in a vineyard. Once cut off, we die. Jesus is the true vine (John 15:1), and unless we are connected to Him, we will never truly be productive. And our so-called independence won’t lead to freedom but to our own destruction.

“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful apart from me.”

John 15:4