I dream that in a moment of dramatic testing, I’d make the big sacrifice. You know the one—gun to the head, demanding me to deny Jesus, my very life at stake. And I boldly proclaim, “Jesus forever!”, giving up my earthly life.
Yet I can’t give up my place in line at Walmart?
Do you also experience these smaller tugs of war to die to self and live for Christ? Afraid that if you loosen your grip, the situation will spin out of control or a treasure will slip through your fingers? I want to hand over all my concerns and plans to the Lord, but I don’t do it as fully as I’d like.
So how do we learn to let go of our will and grab hold of God’s?
HOW DID JESUS DO IT?
In coming to earth—trading in the Taj Mahal for a shack—Jesus turned Himself inside out, laying down all the privileges of royalty, living in the skin of a servant instead.
Who, though he was in the form of God, [Jesus] did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
Philippians 2:6-7
How could He? Because He wanted to please the Father more than He wanted to please Himself (Luke 22:42). And because He understood the joy to come would exceed the cost of the moment (Hebrews 12:2).
So He surrendered to the moment (Luke 23:46).
YOUR MOMENT OF SURRENDER
Which moment is your grand moment of surrender? This one.
Maybe you’re not asked in this moment to physically die for the cause, but you are daily called to numerous symbolic deaths. Consider these five practices to help surrender a little thing today.
5 LITTLE THINGS TO GIVE UP . . .
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I’m writing today at Do Not Depart. Join me there?
What “little things” are hard for you to surrender on a daily basis? What helps you give them up? Do you have a favorite scripture about surrendering?
