America is a nation founded on rebellion against tyranny and a declaration against it. That declaration formalized our commitment to a value - the value of independence.

The Bill of Rights took that commitment and made it specific. And generations later, if there is one thing that unites Americans, it is our commitment to independence.

The problem is, this commitment is not biblical - we have swung the pendulum too far. The biblical standard is interdependence and unity. While we assert our independence from tyrants, the Bible states that we must be dependent on one another and on God.

The body of Christ can't function unless we commit ourselves to allow our brothers and sisters to have authority in our lives.

And Proverbs spells out how this works in our relationship with God: "Give me enough food to live on, neither too much nor too little. If I'm too full, I might get independent, saying, ‘God, who needs him?' If I'm poor I might steal and dishonor the name of my God." (Proverbs 30:8-9)

Those who aspire to follow Jesus would do well to ask: Have I struck the right balance in my life? In what specific ways have I made myself dependent on God? How have I made myself vulnerable and dependent on my brothers and sisters?

If you're going through a dry time in your life, perhaps you need your own declaration of dependence. Find new ways to depend on God and others and paradoxically you'll discover a greater measure of freedom in your life.

Also, check out: 4th of July - let's celebrate our dependence too