Surrender to God – Part 5

“Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” Mark 14:36

Because surrender is so closely connected to our wills, often a price is attached. You can feel devoted to God, yet when it comes time to act you discover that your surrender is only skin-deep. Anticipating this, Jesus often identified the particular area where surrender was needed in a person’s life. To the woman caught in adultery He said, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more’ (John 8:11). That means you must surrender your sexual drives and desires to God. Many times surrender will involve money, because money is all about trust and control. To a rich businessman who wanted to follow Him, Jesus said, ‘Go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor’ (Mark 10:21). But the man was unwilling to do it. Often surrender will involve an act of self-disclosure about a grudge, attitude, habit, or sin. When you’re with a trusted friend, God may prompt you to talk about a matter in which you have struggled or even failed. Don’t be surprised when your immediate response is ‘No way!’ Other times you may be with someone and feel the need to confront them about something, and it makes you uncomfortable. So here’s the question: will you surrender, when surrender means doing something uncomfortable? If it were comfortable, it wouldn’t be surrender! The supreme example of surrender is Christ in Gethsemane, praying, ‘Not my will, but yours be done’ (Luke 22:42). It was the hardest prayer He ever prayed, and the one that launched Him into His destiny. Amazingly, the prayer that brings God’s power – is the prayer of surrender.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, surrender is painful but also liberating. Thank You for rescuing me! In Jesus’ Name, Amen