Photo by Jackson Summer on Unsplash
This year began with a challenge from God. He asked me to surrender.
I have walked with God my entire life.
How could he ask me to surrender?
But deep down (in my spirit-being), I knew what my Father was asking me to do.
I could have argued, as Peter did, that Jesus asked him to follow him.
“When he [Jesus] finished teaching, he said to Simon [Peter], “Push out into deep water and let your nets out for a catch.
Simon said, “Master, we’ve been fishing hard all night and haven’t caught even a minnow. But if you say so, I’ll let out the nets.”
Luke 5:4-5 The Message
But deep down (in my spirit-being), I knew what my Father was asking me to do.
I could have offered excuses as Moses did at his burning-bush challenge.
Moses answered God, “But why me? What makes you think that I could ever go to Pharaoh and lead the children of Israel out of Egypt?”
Exodus 3: 11 The Message
But deep down (in my spirit-being), I knew what my Father was asking me to do.
Why am I writing this way?
I am writing this way because the challenge is not:
- New
At the beginning of humanity’s creation, God challenged Adam not to eat certain items in the garden. Adam freely ate the fruit God said not to eat, and then pointed a finger of blame instead of accepting responsibility.
- Unique
God asked Noah to obey him.
He asked Abram (later Abraham) to follow him.
God asked the Jewish race to serve him.
He asked Pharaoh to let his people go.
Jesus asked Peter, James, and John to follow him.
He asked the religious leaders to believe in him.
Jesus asked his apostles to carry the message worldwide.
He asks us (you and me) to walk with him.
- imprisonment
Generally, surrender carries the idea of being beaten, or giving up, and there is a measure of truth in that, although not in the way you might think.
It also carries the idea of being taken captive and imprisoned.
However, that is not the case when God asks you to surrender.
Sin has beaten you, and all of humanity; it won in the garden when Adam took the forbidden fruit. So, in that regard, yes, you have been beaten.
Surrendering to the Lord means “giving up” living your life the way you want. It means accepting a new way of living. So, in that regard, yes, you are giving up.
But you will never beat sin, and thousands of years of history prove that. You are giving up one way of living to embrace another way of living, which means you are willing to change, and change is almost certainly a positive thing.
The wisdom of Solomon tells us:
But don’t, dear friend, resent God’s discipline; don’t sulk under his loving correction.
It’s the child he loves that God corrects; a father’s delight is behind all this.
Proverbs 3:11-2 The Message
There is an old saying, the origin of which I am unsure, but it goes like this: God loves you just as you are, but He loves you too much to let you stay that way.
He has a will, plan, and purpose for you, which means changes in your life are inevitable. The question is, how will you choose?
What is my Father asking me to do?
He is asking me to surrender my life by living my life verses.
Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.
Proverbs 3:5-6 The Message
Trusting God from the bottom of your heart can be easier said than done. I am wired to figure things out, and my life verse gives me instructions on how to do that: don’t try to figure out everything ON YOUR OWN.
Do you understand what a revelation that is?
I am wired to figure things out, and God says, Great, let’s do it together!
This is what I want you to do. I want you to LISTEN (to give attention by hearing closely) for my voice in every area of your life, and every facet of your being.
In other words, I want you to (the ‘P’ word) patiently wait for my response in everything you do.
Which means, I am surrendering my impatience (quickly read this before I delete it!) to the Lord so I can clearly hear what he is saying, because, when I do, HE will (gladly) keep my life on track.
Therefore, the question (for me) becomes, how will I choose?
Will I choose like Adam, and make a selfish choice, or will I choose like Noah and obey?
Will I choose like Moses and question God’s decisions, or will I choose like Abraham, saying Your will be done?
It isn’t bad to question (which is good news for someone wired to figure out things) as long as your heart is set to follow the Lord.
My question to you is two-fold
What is God asking you to surrender?
If your answer is nothing,
My additional questions are:
Are you being honest with yourself?
Do you have a close personal relationship with him?
These questions are not meant to point a finger of accusation, but rather to facilitate honest dialogue with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
How will you choose?
Even though God loves us as we are, and too much to let us stay that way, he has said he will not violate our will, which means the choice is yours to make.
The Old Testament book of Proverbs has a blunt response for someone making their choice apart from God.
“Well, you’ve made your bed – now lie in it; you wanted your own way – now, how do you like it?”
Proverbs 1:31 The Message
These are strong words, but they point to the intense desire of the Lord to take care of us.
The call of the Spirit is going out across the land for light bearers and (wisdom-speaking) truth givers to bring the words of life to a lost and dying world—one person at a time.
The journey is exciting and scary, and I am grateful to everyone who is willing to follow along as I take it.
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