ALL IN – I SURRENDER ALL
"And whoever does not take his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me."
Matthew 10:38 (ESV)
The biggest change in my life came when I stopped trying to slot God into my life and started building around Him. The key thing for me was surrender. Maybe two of the greatest threats to us surrendering all today are our calendar and our comfort. If we say God is our number One, does it reflect that in our calendar? If we say our spouse or our kids are our number one, and yet we never spend any time with them, then they aren't number one. I'm not talking about legalism. I'm speaking about love. You can spend all day with God out of duty and a sense of responsibility, and that's just legalism, but the opposite is true—I cannot love what I don't invest in. I cannot love what I don't focus on or spend time with. For some people, they love the idea of God more than they love God. Remember, Jesus says the truth will set us free, and sometimes the kindest thing God can do is give us truth.
The other thing that is a threat to my surrender is comfort. Sometimes, I don't want to get up or stay up later to spend time with God. Sometimes, I'm happier on the couch or sleeping in. Yet what is true is that we will sacrifice for what we love. There is an invitation to draw near with God but often it will be inconvenient. We must make an intentional effort to draw near to God, knowing it will always cost something from us.
Jesus doesn't assume all will follow Him. The verse above is a call to die, a call to surrender all. There are no terms in surrender. It's just a laying down of my rights, future and will to the feet of Jesus. That's why Jesus says whoever for some the price will be too high. They will love Jesus and serve Him when it's convenient, but they won't die; they won't surrender. Like anything in life, your faith will be determined by what you put into it. Jesus' invitation is for all. What are you giving Jesus right now? Does He have complete and full access to you? If not, ask what is keeping you from laying it all down. The irony is when you surrender, what you find is peace, life and joy. Trust Him today.
APPLICATION: The call to Jesus is a call to die.
PRAYER: Ask God to guide and direct you today. Ask Him to help you lay down your calendar and your comfort. Ask Him how you can carve more time out to draw near!
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may Your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May Your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?