Day#10 What on Earth am I Here For?
Day #10
The heart of worship is surrender.
Surrender is an unpopular word- It implies losing and noone wants to be a loser. If winning is everything to u, surrendering might be unthinkable. But surrendering to God is the heart of worship. We give ourselves to him, not out of fear or duty, but in love. Because he first loved us.
"So then, my friends, because of God's great mercy to us offer yourself as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to Him." Romans 12: 1
3 barriers that block total surrender: fear, pride, and confusion.
FEAR
Trust is essential ingredient to surrender. You won't surrender to God unless you trust him. But you can't trust him until you know him. Fear keeps u from surrendering, but perfect love casts out fear. The more you realize how much God loves you, the easier surrenderIng become. It brings freedom, not bondage. When we completely surrender ourselves to Jesus, we discover that he is not a tyrant, but a savior.
Pride
A second barrier to total surrender is pride. We don't want to admit it we are are not in charge of everything. It is the oldest temptation "You'll be like God" Genesis 3:5. That desire to have complete control is the cause of much stress in our lives! Life is a struggle, but what most people don't realize is that our struggle is really a struggle with God! We want to be God and there is no way we're going to win that struggle!
The reason why many are still troubled, still seeking, still making a little forward progress is because they haven't yet come to the end of themselves. We aren't God and never will be. Its when we try to be God that we end up most like Satan, who desired the same thing. We want to have it all and do it all and become upset when it doesn't happen. Then when we noticed that God gave others what we don't have, we respond with envy, jealousy, and self-pity.
Confusion
Surrendering to God is not passive or an excuse for laziness. It is the exact opposite- sacrificing your life or suffering in order to change what needs to be changed. God calls surrendered people to do battle on his behalf. Surrendering is not for cowards. Nor does it mean giving up rational thinking. God would not waste the mind he gave you!
Surrendering is not repressing your personality. God wants to use your unique personality. The more we let God take over us, the more truly ourselves with become. He invented all the different people that you and I were intended to be.
We best demonstrate it in obedience- You say "yes Lord" to whatever he asks of you. You can't call Jesus Lord when you refuse to obey Him. Surrendered people obey God's Word, even when it doesn't make sense.
You know your surrender to God when you rely on God to work things out instead of trying to manipulate others, force your agenda, and control the situation. You let go and let God work. The bible says, surrender yourselves to the Lord, and wait patiently for Him. Instead of trying harder, you trust more!
The Supreme example of surrendering is Jesus. The night before his crucifixion of Jesus surrendered himself to God's plan. He prayed, "Father, everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet, I want your will, not mine." In other words, God, if it's in your best interest to remove this suffering, please do. But if it serves your purpose, that's what I want.
Genuine surrender says father, if this problem, pain, sickness, or circumstances needed to fulfill your purpose in my life or in anothers... please don't take it away.. This level of maturity does not come easy!
The blessings of surrendering: The Bible is crystal clear about how you benefit when you fully surrender your life to God...First, you experience peace. Next, you experience freedom. Third, you experience God's power in your life. Overwhelming problems can be defeated when given to him. Surrender doesn't weaken you, it strengthens you! Surrendered people are the ones God uses! Nothing is more powerful than a surrendered life, in the hands of God.
Everybody eventually surrenders to something or someone! If not God, you will surrender to the opinions of others, to resentment, to fear, your own pride, lust, or ego. You were designed to worship God. If you fail to worship Him, you will create other things to give your life to. You are free to choose what you surrender to, but you are not free from the consequences of that choice.
Surrendering your life is not a foolish emotional, but a rational, intellectual act. Its the most responsible and sensible thing you can do with your life. That is why Paul said, "so we make it our goal to please him." 2 Cor 5: 9.
You cannot fulfill God's purpose for your life while focusing on your own plans. Put Jesus Christ in the driver seat of your life and take your hands off the wheel Don't be afraid: nothing under his control can ever be out of control. Mastered by Christ, you can handle anything!
Created 3 months ago
