Hidden Treasure:

The Beauty of Interdependence on the Body of Christ . . .

(The following post is from Victoria)

There is a treasure, refined and true, hidden in the midst of the people of God. It is hidden in the depths of investment and vulnerability where its true beauty is exposed. This treasure I have found is Interdependence.  

I was asked about a month ago what my one word would be to describe what the Lord has been teaching me this year. To me it has been clear: Interdependence.  

I believe this treasure to be hidden, because it is a foreign concept and a lost understanding within our society.  I’ll explain what I mean… 

We live in an American culture of individualism and self-empowerment. All you need is you. Believe in yourself. Love yourself. Self-care. We believe the decisions we make are purely our own. We are the only ones affected and responsible for our decisions. We think on our own. We live on our own. We pursue our own careers and jobs—every coworker, employee and boss is our competitor. We no longer know our neighbors. We go to “our” church even if it is out of our town. We have his money and her money. I could go on and on, but I believe you are getting the picture.  

In essence: we think individually and act individually.  Independence is success. We are pioneers and entrepreneurs. To be self-motivated, have self-worth, be self-made and believe in yourself are our highest ideals.  

This is not the culture of the Kingdom of God.  

Or perhaps you grew up in a home like mine with a strong sense of loyalty and family ideals. Where you are to rely on your family alone. Or perhaps you were raised to believe all you need is a best friend and you can completely rely on them and not need anyone else. This too, is not the culture of the Kingdom.  

The Kingdom of God has its own culture, and its own community. It is not individualistic, nor is it co-dependent. In fact, it is the opposite of both individualism & self-empowerment, and of co-dependency or loyalty to one party. It is a letting go of trusting in yourself alone or of depending on one person or family/group to sustain you. It is a transitioning of that trust to depend evenly upon the various members of a Christ-following community: to a people wholeheartedly devoted to the Lord. 

Do not be quick to assume however, that every “community” is interdependent. Well perhaps, we should step back and define a Biblical community of interdependence, first. It is an interwoven people wholeheartedly devoted to the Lord. 

Let me paint you a picture of this kind of community from the Word of God: 

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. …With one accord they continued to meet daily in the temple courts and to break bread from house to house, sharing their meals with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. 

Acts 2:42, 45-47 NIV 

The multitude of believers were one in heart and soul. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they owned. With great power, the apostles continued to give their testimony about the resurrection of the Lord Jesus...There were no needy ones among them, because those who owned lands or houses would sell their property, bring the proceeds from the sales, and lay them at the apostles’ feet for distribution to anyone as he had need. 

Acts 4:32-35 NIV 

This, my friends, is true, biblical, Kingdom Community. It is Interdependence on the Body of Christ; and it a beautiful treasure. A non-reliance on one’s self and a non-dependency on one particular individual or group for sustenance is the fabric of Interdependence. It is a sharing of life with one another—the great and the grit, the obedience and the disobedience, the WORD of God and the words of mere men. It is a spreading of the load, a refining fire and an inspiring community. It is a community striving together as one to build the Kingdom, helping one another look more like Christ, to grow in love for the greatest treasure: a relationship with the Almighty God of the Universe.  

“For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.” 

Luke 17:21 BLB 

THIS is what Biblical Interdependent Kingdom community looks like. A community that spurs one another on to love Christ, serve Christ, and work diligently for Him.  

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.” 

Mattew 13:44 NIV 

I have experienced the treasure of Interdependence these past 8 months for the first time and it is a wonder to behold. It is worth pursuing, burning ships, and experiencing persecution for, because it is a refiner’s fire that brings out gold. No wonder the angels look down and marvel at the church! (Ephesians 3:10)—this is what it was made to be! We were never made to rely solely on ourselves or co-depend on others. We are called to be interwoven with a community of whole-hearted followers of Jesus who help us follow Jesus. Paul says it like this “He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. To this end I labor, striving with all His energy working powerfully within me,” (Col. 1:29). It takes vulnerability, humility, faithfulness and willingness to share burdens, hear a rebuke, and to obey the self-sacrificial commands of the Word of God—with all of Christ’s energy to work powerfully in us—to pursue this full maturity in Christ. And it takes an interdependent community to help one another do so.