Surrender. That is a word that no one likes to hear. It is an ominous and intimidating word that can bring up images of raising white flags and laying down your weapons. To me it makes me think of losing(and if you really know me you know how much I HATE to lose). Defeat and humiliation go hand in had with surrender.
But when we talk about surrender in the terms of it being vital to a Christians life, it may seem harsh, but we are surrendering to something that is so much better. The apostle Paul talks about surrender in Romans 12:1 when he says, "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." Offering our bodies to God as a living sacrifice is a scary thought if you aren't walking with Him. What Paul is talking about is a total commitment to Christ and His work.
My problem us that I tend to focus on what I am giving up rather than what I am getting in exchange. I fail at times to understand that "surrender" or "total commitment" is the channel which through God's best and biggest blessings flow through.
Another man that surrendered all that he had to God was Abraham. He not only offered his own life he literally was intent on offering his only son as a living sacrifice to God. He life of faith was immortalized for yours and my benefit so that we could learn what true surrender is all about.
The white flag of surrender is one of defeat and giving up. I represents that you lost. Throwing a white towel into a boxing ring signals that you can't go on any longer, that the beating that you are taking is too much to bear.
Another type of surrender comes when to take your marriage vows. This type of surrender involves your heart. You surrender your heart out of love and relationship. That is why a relationship with Christ is so much like a marriage. It is not about what you lose when you submit to another but what you gain. God wants us all to know that His challenge to surrender is about a marriage not about losing. We only lose when we choose not to accept God and His will for our life. His type of surrender is about trusting God's heart toward you and entrusting your life and heart to Him.
So ask yourself this question: What are you afraid of? What are you waiting for? What are you holding on to?
But when we talk about surrender in the terms of it being vital to a Christians life, it may seem harsh, but we are surrendering to something that is so much better. The apostle Paul talks about surrender in Romans 12:1 when he says, "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." Offering our bodies to God as a living sacrifice is a scary thought if you aren't walking with Him. What Paul is talking about is a total commitment to Christ and His work.
My problem us that I tend to focus on what I am giving up rather than what I am getting in exchange. I fail at times to understand that "surrender" or "total commitment" is the channel which through God's best and biggest blessings flow through.
Another man that surrendered all that he had to God was Abraham. He not only offered his own life he literally was intent on offering his only son as a living sacrifice to God. He life of faith was immortalized for yours and my benefit so that we could learn what true surrender is all about.
The white flag of surrender is one of defeat and giving up. I represents that you lost. Throwing a white towel into a boxing ring signals that you can't go on any longer, that the beating that you are taking is too much to bear.
Another type of surrender comes when to take your marriage vows. This type of surrender involves your heart. You surrender your heart out of love and relationship. That is why a relationship with Christ is so much like a marriage. It is not about what you lose when you submit to another but what you gain. God wants us all to know that His challenge to surrender is about a marriage not about losing. We only lose when we choose not to accept God and His will for our life. His type of surrender is about trusting God's heart toward you and entrusting your life and heart to Him.
So ask yourself this question: What are you afraid of? What are you waiting for? What are you holding on to?
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