Absolute Surrender
Galatians 2:20 (NLT) My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Can we really say that it is no longer "I" who lives? In a world full of self-gratification, self-indulgence, self-pity, selfishness and social media sites full of selfies, I really don't believe many Christians are living the crucified life. We are busy pleasing the flesh with short-term enjoyment rather than satisfying the spirit that lasts forever. I want to have an eternal impact on this world, I do not want to arrive at my grave "safely" with a bunch of people saying I was a nice person. I want to arrive at my grave with a job well done - I don't desire fame, but I desire to be remembered as someone who lived to make Jesus known in all the earth.
Fulfilling the Great Commission to the best of my abilities and fulfilling my specific calling in life is my goal. If there is a place I cannot go then I want to give to a missionary who is called to go. I want to live a life serving Jesus by helping others and sharing the Good News rather than a life lived just acquiring "stuff." Jesus is coming back for a spotless bride - not one bickering and complaining about temporal things. We must live the Gospel and be the Gospel - it's a daily surrender, saying no to self and yes to Jesus.
I'm so dissatisfied with church as usual, the church at large needs the presence of God to completely infiltrate their congregations and touch the hearts of people living in mediocrity - but for this to happen there must be sacrifice and absolute surrender. Have you surrendered everything today? Are you spiritually satisfied or do you long for something more? We can't be worried about what others think, we must focus on Jesus and walk in obedience. Laying down our lives and carrying our cross so the lost may be saved. Yearn for more, oh bride of Christ - yearn for so much more!
James 1:22-25 (NLT) But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.
Romans 12:1 (NLT) And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.
