"It is easy to be independent when you've got money. But to be independent when you haven't got a thing, that's the Lord's test"

Mahalia Jackson's quote suggests that real independence is not attained through financial wealth, however rather through the capability to survive and flourish in spite of being without material possessions or financial support. This kind of independence, according to Jackson, is a test from a higher power, recommending that it needs strength and strength beyond what can be bought with money.