Radical Dependence
“[Jesus] answered, “The Scriptures say:
Bread alone will not satisfy,
but true life is found in every word
that constantly goes forth from God’s mouth.”
Matthew 4:4 TPT
The 3DM community has been instrumental in the lives of my husband and me. One of the things I appreciate most about 3DM people is their commitment to imitating Jesus’ life. Through them, I’ve learned to read Scripture looking for how Jesus did life so that I can live the same way. That has been a life-changer. As I’ve looked at Jesus’ life, I’ve seen again and again that the most dominant characteristic of his life was a radical dependence on his Father. Jesus let himself receive his identity from his Father (e.g. Mk 1:10-11). He lived rooted in that Source. He spent lots of time in the presence of his Father (e.g. Mk 1:35). He delighted in his connection with his Father (e.g. Jn 17). He constantly listened to his Father. He did and said only what His Father instructed (e.g. Jn 8:28). This truly is a radical dependence.
Recently I read through Matthew 4, the account of Jesus’ temptation. This time though, I was struck with a recurring theme. It seems to me that the devil’s whole attack strategy was to get Jesus to move away from his way of total dependence on God and call the shots himself instead.
As a member of the Trinity, Jesus had every right to call the shots himself. But he became fully human and chose to give up those rights and be radically dependent on God all the time (Phil 2:5-8). That way we have a model we can relate to and imitate! In his temptations, I see Jesus saying to the devil, in effect,
1. “I feed on God’s word. Listening to Him is more important even than eating.” (See Mt 4:4)
2. “I can’t put Him to the test. I yield to Him. I wait for Him.” (See Mt 4:7)
3. “It is God whom I love, not my role as king. I do what He says.” (See Mt 4:10)
These are powerful examples for us to imitate. Also, the fact that the devil tried this strategy on Jesus himself helps to explain why living this way is so hard for us. The devil uses this strategy on us all the time too! If he can get us to stop depending on, loving, and trusting God and get us to take control of things ourselves at any given time, he renders us useless in God’s kingdom for that time. I’m reminded of Jesus’ words in John 15:5: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me, you will bear much fruit. Apart from me you can do nothing.”
This is really hard. We want control, to put it mildly. However, I have glimpses of the revolutionary change that could result from us living like Jesus in this way. In fact, I’ve seen some in real life. My husband was introduced to this element of Jesus’ life through 3DM people before I was, and as he started practicing listening to God more, receiving His love in new ways and living more firmly from his identity as God’s beloved, I saw his life change (and it was great to begin with!). He started living more freely, more confidently, with way more spiritual authority. He had more capacity for God, for us as his family, and for our neighbors. This changed the whole way he did hospitality. He opened his life to people. The profound changes I saw in him led me to explore what he was learning for myself. He continues to be changed by God, and it is so exciting to see from up close. Now for the past several years, as I practice doing the work of abiding, listening and depending on God, I’m seeing some pretty radical changes in myself as well. I know God better. We are close. I know that He is for me. My trust in Him has increased exponentially. He is healing deeper layers of my broken past and redeeming them. He is increasing my capacity for Him, for believers (even the ones who frustrate me!), and for people who don’t know Him yet. He is empowering me to equip other leaders to disciple and equip others. I’m seeing Spirit-fruit in my life like never before. And we are not the only ones! I asked some competent, experienced leaders whom I’ve been discipling in this Way about changes they see in themselves as they imitate Jesus’ radical dependence. I got many great lists. Here are some snippets:
· “I identify lies that I have or do live under more quickly. I live with increased confidence in God’s unconditional love for me and therefore for others. I declare God’s truth to others about their true identity in Christ more boldly. I am more fully equipped to equip others to learn to walk in their true identity.”
· “In my quest to obey God and live out my faith, I have learned through 3DM to rewind. My ‘obediencing’ does not a disciple make. My starting point needs to be to surrender to and abide in the Source of my strength, my loving creator and heavenly Father. When I sit under His waterfall of unconditional and intentional love, I float down the river of His delight and obey Him. Like Jesus, I represent and do the will of my Father.”
· “God is creating in me an interesting, mysterious combination of learning to be okay with desperately needing Jesus and His Spirit for everything meaningful God wants to accomplish in my life, learning to embrace weakness and inadequacy as a gift, not a liability, while at the same time receiving courage and strength to be a warrior for Kingdom truth and witness. The thirstier I am for Jesus, the more He fills me and overflows out of me to bless others. I’m being freed from works and striving as I experience how much God loves me and how He has created and gifted me for kingdom purpose. I’m learning in community to hear God’s voice and obey, and it’s an invitation, not a burden. I’m learning the value of discipleship in community and am now stepping out in faith to give it to others, as an invitation and blessing, not a burden or works.”
I could go on. We are never too seasoned as believers to be radically changed by imitating Jesus in these ways. I am convinced that imitating Jesus’ way of radical intimacy and dependence on the Father is the Source from which all other Spirit-fruit flows. Abiding in Him is the living spring from which flows a life of fruitful missional discipleship. We are all invited to this. What a marvelous invitation!
Jesus prayed,
“I have revealed to them who You are
and I will continue to make You even more real to them,
so that they may experience the same endless love
that You have for me,
for Your love will now live in them,
even as I live in them!”
John 17:26 TPT
Sarah Grunau
Co-leader of 3DM Calgary Hub,
3DM North America board member