SURRENDER

The biggest reason, I believe, that people fight the existence of God or have Faith is that it requires that we all surrender or die to our sin nature and become reborn in our Christ nature, as God intends. The reason that this is an incredible challenge for each and every one of us is because it requires that we change or let go or give up behavior, lifestyles, bad thinking, and everything else you can imagine. But the truth of the matter is we gain more Freedom in Christ than we lose.  

Most of us don't want to give up our bad habits, the things WE KNOW are not good for us emotionally, physically, psychologically and spiritually. We are that SELF absorbed in ourselves that we miss getting the message of what Christ stands for, what Faith is, how Hope is encouraged and fostered and what makes LOVE the most complex yet perfect gift we can share with each other.  Today as I sat in a new church for the first time, I listened, and my heart was not in the service - its Father's Day so pastors all over the US are preaching Fatherly messages. I was also very much distracted by my conversation earlier before service with God as I prayed for someone I know. As I cried because I knew what needed to happen for this person, anguish took over because the sacrifice is so great. 

How do we learn to surrender when we are not willing to release ourselves from trying to control everything or everyone? Faith is a curious thing, in that those that have deep and profound Faith seem to stumble and fall just like those without it; we make huge mistakes that sometimes we don't realize  impact the lives of others and our own. And we see those without Faith gain so much worldly riches and good fortune. So to the naked eye and the questioning heart why bother with Faith and God at all? It seems the evil and bad prosper while millions of others with Faith suffer in unimaginable ways. 

The other greatest reason we shun Faith and God, is because we believe so much in ourselves and our own ability that we cannot possibly imagine that there might be something greater then us.  How arrogant and prideful we are as people to believe that there is not a creator of the heavens and the earth. Scientists have proven time after time, and some have even come to a relationship with God, that there must be a GOD because there are so many millions of oddities in nature, complexities in the human body and the vastness of the Universe.  Linear minded folks usually have the hardest time with faith, in my opinion. Because for linear minded people, math genius' and the like, they cannot come up with an equation that makes it fit so they create something to make it fit...which as any math person knows, you can't do because numbers don't lie. So if numbers don't lie and you can't make up the equation what do you do?

Well most of us find something that works and follow the old adage, if it ain't broke why fix it. So along we go on our merry little way and strive to feed our feelings of insignificance with earthly things. And if you are reading this and you don't have faith I would challenge you to look at your life and the choices you make and try to tap into hindsight and I dare you to tell me that I am wrong.  I am not being compative, but rather I am trying to challenge my readers to look deep into where they find their significance and examine why they believe that?  

When we surrender to God our hearts, our lives...we need to think big picture. We need to examine what His wisdom and word say that are there to help us bear fruit and NOT be a barren Olive tree in the desert.  When I chose Christ, I made a conscious mind and heart decision to to my very best to be a good steward of what He has given me, the mercies the grace - all of it, so that I could follow Him. Ironically, what I thought would happen never did...there were no sacrifices because I love God so much that I try to see what is best for right living through His eyes and not my own. Therein lies the Freedom! Am I really benefitting by over spending, over drinking, over XXXXXXXX (you fill in the blank) or am I being a good steward of what God has provided for me?  Each time I seek His counsel and wisdom, while I am never surprised by what I hear, but brought to my knees for what I feel. God is an awesome God, a God of Love and Mercy. Who benefits if I go out spend 100 bucks and get drunk, suffering a horrible hangover in the morning? Who benefits if I max out my credit cards to purchase things that I can't even take with me when I die? Who benefits if I continually seek my significance in others, in things, position and power? Just think about it a while - let it settle in to a nice comfy place and think and meditate on it.

For most people surrendering means to give up, fail...However, if you see there the term Give Up...it means to let go of. Are you willing today to let go and let God?

pebble out....