Want to be your best? Then, it’s time to give it up for the LORD!
As a Southerner, it is quite distasteful and bad form really, to quote a Yankee General, but the specific terms U.S. Grant offered to Confederates at Fort Donelson during the Civil War War of Northern Aggression perfectly applies to our spiritual life—unconditional surrender.
Our current President may have wrote a book on the Art of the Deal, but this is the greatest deal ever, although at first appearance, it may not look so good. Jesus’ command to follow Him requires that level of unconditional commitment. In the business world it would be like signing a blank contract with the Lord. Whatever Jesus asks, we obey. Now, who in the right mind would do such a thing?
Actually, it’s people in their “right” mind who would sign it right away because they would know Who they are signing a contract with. (My apologies to all my English teachers for ending a sentence with a preposition). Signing a blank contract with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords is not risky, but a slam dunk guarantee to have the best possible outcome for yourself! His burden is easy and His yoke is light and His path is the Way, the Truth, and the Life!
The apostle Paul put it this way, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God–this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–His good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Rom 12:1-2).
Sacrifices tend to not have a lot of say about their future.
Is this the right choice? We’re supposedly seeking how to optimize our journey through life–to maximize our POTENTIAL and the solution is total and unconditional surrender? To be a living sacrifice? One would be sufficiently tempted to say, “What else you got?”
Here’s how it works. God knows all. Our knowledge is like a thimble full of water on the ocean of God’s wisdom. God loves us far more than we even love ourselves. Thus, we can trust God–that was our Perspective discussed in the previous blog. If we trust God, then it’s quite obvious that when it comes to directing our lives, Father knows best.
There’s a direct correlation between how much we give of our heart to God and how much He can use us for His will and purpose. The more we give, the more He can use. Thus, to truly “optimize”, we need to surrender all.
One of the “Blessed” verses from Matthew chapter 5 is verse 8: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” That’s some pretty heady stuff. For those with a pure heart–those who have laid it all on the altar, will see God. I’m not wise enough to explain the depth of that verse, but this aligns with our desire to see the world how God sees the world–to have a Kingdom of God perspective. If we operate with a pure heart, God can use all of us for His glory and we are blessed to see God in action. This is how Jesus went about it, stating, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.” (John 5:19).
For those with a pure heart, they get to see what the Father is doing and go and joy in the fun!
A pure heart is not a perfect heart. None of us have that, but a pure heart is a sincere heart–an honest heart that contains no deceit or selfish desire.
Jesus humbled and emptied Himself to be in full obedience to the Father. Though entitled (as one day every knee will bow and tongue will confess Him as Lord), He came not to be served, but to serve. He washed His disciples feet and told us to do likewise–to serve one another. Our King became a sacrifice for us and there’s no greater love than this than for one to lay down his life for one’s friends. (ref John 15:13). He went all in and gave Himself up for us so that we may have eternal life with Him. What an awesome Friend we have in Jesus!
Amen!
