I get it. We all do it. You know, how we say ‘I don’t need anybody, I can do this on my own’ when we feel like it’s just us against the world. There's just this “rewarding” feeling you get when you are able to say you accomplished something without any help, right? But, did you really?

We are living in a time where the definition of being ‘independent’ has turned into a mask to cover up us not wanting to ask for help, which comes from the fear of us not wanting to lose our dignity. We do not want to be portrayed as weak individuals, even though we as humans simply cannot do everything on our own. We also want to be independent because we believe that humans will always fail us, and so we are better off avoiding disappointments and doing everything without the help of others.

Yet we fail to realize, we treat God the same way.

If being independent meant that you don’t need anybody for anything, and that you can single-handedly do everything on your own, each person would have his or her own planet. But we don’t, so you’re basically stuck with us, annoying and unhelpful humans, forever.

I grew up with a false perception of who God really is. Many of my experiences throughout my life have shaped the way I viewed God, and people, even after giving my life to Christ. For example, I had no male guidance for majority of my life. Because of that, seeing God as my Father was a scary thing for me, let alone understanding that He will provide my every need since I would rather do everything on my own. I did not understand, nor could I imagine how a God could be a Father since I have never had one around me.

I would rather do everything on my own because like I said earlier, I personally believed that people will always fail me or that I would be some type of burden to them. I also wanted that false rewarding feeling of being able to call myself independent, so that no one will ever be able to use my accomplishments against me.

My struggle with trusting people has also prevented me from seeing God as who He is and not as how we humans treat each other.

How do you let God be God? You do that by seeing Him for who He truly is, and accepting only that from Him. Some of you all may have grown up in a church and have seen some foul stuff go on, or have even witnessed people scream out from their rooftops how they are Jesus junkies, but their hidden lives prove otherwise. Yet, you unknowingly accept pieces of this false reality as if it were God’s true character. In order to see God for who He truly is, you need to be able to discern what actually comes from Him through people, and what comes from people that is not of Him. Once that happens, you will be able to see God for exactly who He says He is, and show others that same revelation.

“You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.”

Jeremiah 29:13

I had to learn the hard way that I can’t possibly do anything on my own. Eventually, the tough girl facade had to fade away in order for my relationship with God to grow. The biggest challenge for me was being able to understand that I can no longer be the god in my life and that I had to let God be the Master over my life.

The process wasn’t easy of course, and I wish it were! But through it all, I learned that God actually wants to be the one you run to for help and guidance, that’s who He is! It’s not a sign of weakness because a Father is the head of the household. It’s a Father’s job to protect and provide for His children and also be there for them when they are in need and in danger. “Your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matthew 6:8). I know for a fact that He will not see you as a burden, or tell you that He cannot meet your needs. Allowing God to simply be God has been the most refreshing feeling since I gave my life to Christ. I even noticed that as my trust in Him grew, my trust and love in myself and others grew with time as well. I’m still learning every day about who He is, and each day brings an exciting and new revelation. I no longer have to fear how I will get through each day because that is not my job. That is not our job. Our job is to trust that our needs will be met, by letting God be God.