Surrender

Why do some just survive and others thrive in the presence of God?

Let's get some definitions out of the way. 

What does survive mean?

    -> to continue to function or live

What does thrive mean?

->To grow vigorously, to gain

So there is in obvious difference between the two. Surviving, I believe, requires more striving and leads to exhaustion. Where as, thriving is more ease and naturally brings about a great harvest. 

Last Sunday this question was posed and again in my small group. "Why do some just survive and others thrive in the presence of God?" My honest answer was "I don't know". For me personally I tend to survive/ I see myself as surviving. I get up, I work, I eat, I sleep, REPEAT.  I have my mental lists, mental to dos, bills, ect. And in the small group we discussed how "crazy" it is that the more you hold on to things, the more you try to have it all together, the more you realize you don't. Well during my morning walk I was thinking about this question, because honestly I didn't feel like I could answer it. WHAT IS IT that makes the difference in surviving and thriving in the presence of God? Then one word came to mind, SURRENDER. 

What does it mean to surrender?

->to yield to the power or control of another

-> to give up completely or forgo

You see I can survive by going through the motions, checking off the lists, looking at what is next, but in doing this I miss the goodness of God, I miss the rest and growth he wants for me. When I am surviving I am just bouncing from one thing to the next, leading myself to a state of exhaustion.  God wants me to thrive in His presence and He says to me "Lauren Surrender. Let go of what you feel like you  need to do, or feel like you need to say or feel like... Let go and TRUST ME". *Side note: a few years ago the Lord reminded me that when you let go of the reins then He will take you higher. Why is this? Because when I have the reins I think I am guiding my life in the right direction of what I deem good and I have to make sure everything goes correctly. BUT, when God has the reins he takes me to higher places that I couldn't even imagine and He is in control of the direction and outcome. You see God is Good (Psalm 103:8), He brings everything to completion and wants what is best for me (Philippians 1:6). God knows something that the world doesn't know. A surrendered heart removes the striving, removes just functioning, takes away the exhaustion and brings about vigorous growth, rejuvenation, joy, rest, clarity. 

You know what, surrender requires vulnerability and trust. Those who thrive in the presence of Jesus let go of their preferences, concerns, self-consciousness, ect. The extent of your surrender shows the extent of your thriving in Christ.

To be honest vulnerability is where I struggle most. BUT GOD, is so good to tell me, to show me, to guide me, to walk with me on this path of surrender. God puts his finger on places in our lives where there are idols, pride,  lies so that we may be free but we must chose to walk on the path of surrender and truth. In Matthew 10: 16-22 , Jesus pointed out a place where a rich young ruler needed to surrender. The man chose to walk away from the invitation, he didn't want to let go. Maybe he feared what would become of him, maybe he felt his identity was in the things he owned. The problem though is that he wouldn't surrender all of himself to Jesus, he didn't trust Jesus enough to provide all that he needs. I don't want to be that way, I want to give Jesus all that I have and surrender to Him continually.  

Luke 9:23~ If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.

God doesn't just want me on Sunday, or morning devotion. He wants my every step, my every being, every thought to be set on Him. 

1 John 2: 5-6~ But the love of God will be perfected within the one who obeys God's Word. We can be sure that we truly come to live in intimacy with God, not just by saying, " I am intimate with God" but by walking in the footsteps of Jesus.

LISTEN:  Only Jesus

I encourage you to go and listen to series called Rethinking the Church

Rethinking the Church Pt 3

Lord thank-you for loving me! I pray for that my posture in life becomes one of surrender, with arms wide open! If you can use anything Lord, you can use me! No matter how long it takes Lord, you have the reins. I want my life to scream YES to what you have for me Jesus. Thank you Lord! You are holy, sovereign, just and loving! I pray for all of those just surviving Lord, bring them to a place of surrender and thriving in you Jesus. Give us hearts to follow, ears to hear and eyes to see you rightly. In Jesus name. AMEN.

Prepare for Rain

 

What is preparation? The action/process of making ready.

One of my favorite movies is Facing the Giants, I mean I can quote most of the movie because I have seen it so many times!  There is a portion where Mr. Bridges tells a story of two farmers. Two farmers desperately needed rain but only one went out to prepare for the needed rain. Which one  do you think trusted God to send the rain?

The one that prepares for what he is praying for is the one who displays his trust in God. When Jesus was crucified and raised from the dead he visited his apostles and told them to wait in Jerusalem for the promised gift ,which is the Holy Spirit, that would be sent by God the Father (Acts 1:4,8; Luke 24:49). How long were they to wait? The answer is 50 days (on the day of Pentecost), but of course the apostles didn't know this.  So imagine this, Jesus says wait in Jerusalem till an unspecified time for the promised gift. One day passes, two days pass, a week passes, a month passes and from the outside nothing seems to be happening.  The Bible says not to grow weary in doing good and in due time the harvest will come (Galatians 6:9). So after 50 days where do we see the apostles, we see them not getting weary, they are still preparing for the promise that God gave them. They are found meeting together with other believers and in a moment the promise is filled and there is about 3000 people added to the family of God (Acts 2). You see what happens when a promise meets obedience? Joy, generosity, the blind see, people are set free, and love will overflow!

How does this apply to my life?   Another quote from Facing the Giants said "Your actions will always follow your belief".  You want to see what a person lives by or what they believe, watch what their actions tell you. We can see the story of the farmers that one believed the rain would come, we see that the apostles still had faith 50 days later, we see what they believed because of their actions. What good is a belief if you just think it and you act the opposite way? I would call that person a liar because they truly don't believe what they say? Why would I say this? Because actions follow your belief. The Bible says "What good is your faith if you don't show it? True faith in Jesus produces good deeds. (James 2:14-26) Isn't that amazing! Faith in Jesus  results in my actions changing and not because I am good but because God is good. How so? Well before I was saved my actions showed who I loved more, myself. I could do "good" things but it is all outward not an inward type of change. Now that I trust Jesus I am more concerned about what He delights in and not my own. Jesus transforms me from the inside which I couldn't do myself and this transformation results in my actions following suite.  So am I saved because of my actions? Nope. I am saved because of my faith in Jesus and that faith is active. (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Lord Thank you for another day to be part of your will. Lord I pray for your laborers that you stir us up. Help us to prepare for the influx of your harvest, Jesus. I pray for hearts of surrender and repentance Lord, we want more of you Jesus.  I pray that our obedience meets your promise so that lives will be changed Lord. Forgive me Jesus for going about life mundanely. You are my joy, my salvation, my hope. Touch your children today. In Jesus Name Amen.

Questions to ask myself

-Am I preparing for what I am praying for?

-Do my actions match what I believe?

-Am I living life with purpose?

You Never Give Up On Me

Voice of Truth