The Illusion of Independence: A Spiritual Reflection on Freedom and Dependence by Tina Malaty

1. The Myth of Self-Sufficiency

Every human life is built on dependence.

We depend on oxygen, on the earth’s balance, on time, on love, on purpose. Even the strongest among us draw their strength from something — from faith, from ambition, from the hope that tomorrow still matters.So when we say we want to be “independent,” what we really mean is that we want to be free from control — free from pain, from disappointment, from the feeling of needing someone who might fail us.

But trying to live apart from dependence is like a branch trying to live apart from the tree. It may look alive for a moment, but it’s already dying.

2. The Spiritual Source of Dependence

Spiritually, independence is an illusion because the soul cannot exist without connection to its source.

Just as light exists only by its relation to the sun, the soul exists only by its relation to God — the giver of life, love, and consciousness itself.Jesus expressed this mystery with simple clarity:

“I am the vine; you are the branches. Apart from Me, you can do nothing.” — John 15:5

That’s not a statement of control — it’s an invitation to intimacy.

To depend on God isn’t to lose oneself; it’s to find the self’s truest form — rooted, nourished, and alive.

3. Dependence vs. Slavery

Many reject dependence because they confuse it with servitude.

But dependence on God isn’t bondage; it’s liberation.

The soul that depends on its Creator is not chained — it’s anchored.

In a world spinning with uncertainty, that kind of anchoring is not weakness; it’s wisdom.We are all servants to something — our desires, our fears, our ambitions, or our faith. True freedom is not the absence of service; it’s choosing the right Master — the One whose rule is love.

4. The Paradox of Freedom Through Surrender

The more we cling to control, the more anxious we become.

But when we surrender to divine dependence, we discover peace that cannot be shaken.

The paradox is simple yet profound: the soul finds freedom not in independence, but in belonging — not in isolation, but in union.It is in dependence that we discover purpose.

It is in surrender that we experience rest.

And it is in humility that we become strong.

✨ Closing Thought

Independence may sound powerful, but it’s a lonely kingdom.

The truth is that every life — yours, mine, and all creation — breathes because of a divine rhythm that sustains it moment by moment.To depend on God isn’t to give up your freedom.

It’s to come home to it.

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