THINK TOGETHER
What is something that you can do on your own without any help? What is something that you can’t do without someone helping you?
READ TOGETHER
One of the most important things that happens to you as you grow up is that you learn to do more and more things for yourself. Can you feed yourself? Can you dress yourself? What else can you do for yourself?
This is called independence. We become more independent when we can do things on our own. And we all love to do things ourselves don’t we? Have you ever heard a toddler yell “I do it!” because they don’t want any help?
But another very important thing that God wants us to learn is that none of us will ever be totally independent. We will always need help. Even as a grownup we still need help. What do grownups need help with sometimes?
You see none of us was made by God to be completely independent. And we are especially dependent on God for help every single day. Without God’s help we will literally would not be able to do anything.
Jesus showed us this when he was alive on earth. Even Jesus, who was God, didn’t do anything as a human being without God’s help and permission. Listen to how Jesus talked about his relationship with the Father:
John 5:19. So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.
John 5:30 “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of [the Father] who sent me.
John 6:38. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.
Jesus lived totally dependent on God and totally obedient to God. And that is exactly how we are supposed to live too. We are meant to be totally dependent on Jesus and totally obedient to Jesus. Whenever we think that we don’t need God or that we can live our lives without him, that’s called sin. That’s what Adam and Eve said in the Garden of Eden – “we can be as smart as God and then we won’t need him.” And when we act that way with God, or even with our moms and dads or our teachers, we are sinning too.
Instead we need to admit when we need help and we need to be OK with not always being OK. Why? Because trusting God is the most important thing we can do, and we won’t trust God if we don’t think we need God and his love and kindness every moment of every day.
Because of Jesus we can depend on God’s love no matter what.
With Jesus we can trust God every moment of every day.
DO SOMETHING TOGETHER
Here’s a classic hymn to sing together
You can watch this scene from Shazam together too. Here’s where Billy gets his super powers. Talk about how Billy is completely dependent upon Shazam for his powers, just like we are completely dependent on Jesus for the power to be kind and helpful and loving. (Warning: may be a bit intense for younger kids)
PRAY TOGETHER
Jesus,
I need you. I can’t do anything good without you first being good to me. Thank you for loving me all the time.
Amen.
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