Thursday, February 10, 2011

I Surrender All! Really?

         This idea of surrendering my will to His will is much easier said than done. In fact, when I am fearful that the fruit of my doing so is going to be far-removed from my will, it is nigh unto impossible. For example, allow me to share a real-time example with you: I have two beautiful (the boys agree with me!) teen-aged granddaughters, whom I dearly love. It is my will that they spend these years loving Jesus, doing what is right, avoiding drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and sex, studying hard, making A’s, and making their Mama proud (like I did!), and, especially, that I can live long enough to meet their beautiful children, so that is how I pray (well, sorta’). Then Jesus comes along and quietly asks, “Would you be willing to entrust them to Me, taking your hands off, and allow me to get them (and you) through these years as I deem best?”
          Now we all know that Jesus never married and, didn’t have even one beautiful, teen-aged daughter, much less two, and, certainly, had no granddaughters, even ugly ones, so I wonder, “What could He possibly know about raising beautiful, teen-aged girls?” I mean His question scares the wits out of me! As I said earlier, when I am fearful that the fruit of surrendering my will to His will is going to be far-removed from my will, it is nigh unto impossible for me to do it. And then I remember His very own words, the ones He spoke to His Father, when He knew that the fruit of surrendering His will to His Father’s would mean relentless, terrible suffering and agonizing death: Not My will but Thine be done. Remember, however, that His doing so caused Him, even Him, to sweat drops of blood!
          I have no idea where you are in your journey, but I am rather certain that He will call upon you to surrender your will to His will—sooner, rather than later. If He already has, He will do it again, and again, and again. I am confident that you will repeatedly find yourself in your own Gethsemane (place of crushing!), where your will is opposed to His will, and He is nudging you to surrender to Him, even though it scares the wits out of you. When you do, remember that His way is always the best way—period. Try to keep in mind that your trying to get Him to change His mind is utter foolishness, as His way is perfect—period.
          On another day and in another setting this is what He said: Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life loses it; and he who hates his life in this world shall keep it to life eternal. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall My servant also be; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him. Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Thy name (John 12:24-28a; NASB).
                                    
"This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent" (John 6:29 NASB).    

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