For the past few days, I’ve been reading a remarkable book by theologian, John Stott called The Radical Disciple. In it, he gives eight characteristics of Christian discipleship that are often neglected in the lives of followers of Christ. One of those characteristics is a chapter titled “Dependence”. Here Stott describes his experience of fracturing his hip and having to totally rely on others to take care of him during the painful process of hip replacement surgery and rehab. He then explains how experiences like this “can be used by God to bring about greater maturity in us.” 

Here are some things he learned:

“Human vulnerability can be a painful but liberating experience.”

“A refusal to be dependent on others is not a mark of maturity but immaturity.”

These discoveries of Stott’s were prompted by his fear of getting old and searching for answers in the Holy Scriptures. He references John 21:18, when Jesus said to Peter: “When you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” 

Injury is one of the greatest fears of an athlete for many reasons, but, after all the hospital visits I’ve made over the past seven years in service to the Bulldogs, one observation remains true: He or she is not looking forward to the crutches & braces, scheduling rehab sessions around a therapist’s availability, and relying on roommates to do everything but wipe his/her hind end after he/she goes to bathroom. Injury, depending upon its severity, can certainly be a humbling experience. I remember while playing volleyball in college I suffered two severe ankle sprains over a span of four months. I literally lived on crutches for almost five weeks. One rainy day while I was crutching to class, I slipped on a wet marbled floor. Down I went into a big embarrassing crash! I remember in my first attempt to get back up I fell yet again. Finally, a passer-by who pitied my helpless state stopped and helped me regain my balance.

Our culture today often teaches us to be independent. It teaches us that “if you wanna succeed, ya gotta go get it yourself,” even if it means a person who poses as a potential threat has gotta get shoved under the bus “for the sake of the goal.” Thankfully, we have team sports to teach us that without teamwork, we cannot achieve goals. At least in the sports culture we still have some tangible grasp of this character quality Stott describes as Christ-like. 

Dependence is Christ-like because…

“Christ himself takes on the dignity of dependence. He is born a baby, totally dependent on the care of his mother. He needs to be fed, he needs his bottom to be wiped, he needs to be propped up when he rolls over. And yet he never loses his divine dignity. And at the end, on the cross, he again becomes totally dependent, limbs pierced and stretched, unable to move. So in the person of Christ we learn that dependence does not, cannot, deprive a person of their dignity, of their supreme worth. And if dependence was appropriate for the God of the universe, it is certainly appropriate for us.” –John Stott

Galatians 6:2, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
If you’re suffering an injury right now, take heart! It may just be that God wants to not only teach you something about yourself, but more importantly, something about the people who love you and WHO CHRIST IS !