If your childhood was anything like mine, you played with Lego growing up. At the end of the day you would 'tidy up' by throwing everything into the container as-is. The next time you came back, you would very likely find a 'creation' that someone else had already started, and what would you do with it? Take it apart, and start again. You wouldn't continue what someone else had already begun. I think God is like that. Often, we have built a foundation for ourselves. We have plans, dreams, goals. We are attempting to live (and control) our lives, and then try and fit God in where it's convenient. When we come to God, or in some cases come back to God, He has to take us apart, strip us down to our lowest point, to our nothing, the same way we used to do with our Lego. God will not build on someone else's foundation. He has a different, and better vision for our lives.
When I began writing this entry, my thinking was that when you let God take control of your life you had to be two things, a) willing, and b) committed. To me, being willing meant you would stick around until things got difficult, and being committed meant you would be there until the end, but more out of sense of obligation than desire. I even referenced Luke 9:57-62 (which is about the cost of following Christ), and how those men were willing but not committed. I thought when you were both willing AND committed, then you were starting to head in the right direction. I thought. Then I read this article: 'Why I'm Not a Committed Christian (And Why That's a Good Thing)'* and realized, it's not about willingness or commitment, it's about surrender.
Surrender is where it starts. James 4:7-8a says 'Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.' Earlier I talked about when we are trying to live our lives how we want, and adding God in as an afterthought. I now understand that when you surrender to God, the things of His heart, what He desires for you, become your desires as well. Things line up. In our container of Lego growing up, we had two big green pieces, one a square, and one a rectangle. They were the perfect base for making houses, schools, anything that needed a solid foundation. How much more important is your life, than some house made of Lego that will be taken apart the next day? Instead of trying to be a construction worker (unless that's your actual job), why not let God be the builder? Make Him your big green square, and let your life be His Lego.
To finish I will leave you with the words of a song I grew up hearing sung in church:
When I began writing this entry, my thinking was that when you let God take control of your life you had to be two things, a) willing, and b) committed. To me, being willing meant you would stick around until things got difficult, and being committed meant you would be there until the end, but more out of sense of obligation than desire. I even referenced Luke 9:57-62 (which is about the cost of following Christ), and how those men were willing but not committed. I thought when you were both willing AND committed, then you were starting to head in the right direction. I thought. Then I read this article: 'Why I'm Not a Committed Christian (And Why That's a Good Thing)'* and realized, it's not about willingness or commitment, it's about surrender.
Surrender is where it starts. James 4:7-8a says 'Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.' Earlier I talked about when we are trying to live our lives how we want, and adding God in as an afterthought. I now understand that when you surrender to God, the things of His heart, what He desires for you, become your desires as well. Things line up. In our container of Lego growing up, we had two big green pieces, one a square, and one a rectangle. They were the perfect base for making houses, schools, anything that needed a solid foundation. How much more important is your life, than some house made of Lego that will be taken apart the next day? Instead of trying to be a construction worker (unless that's your actual job), why not let God be the builder? Make Him your big green square, and let your life be His Lego.
To finish I will leave you with the words of a song I grew up hearing sung in church:
I surrender all
All to Jesus I surrender
All to Him I freely give
I will ever love and trust Him
In His presence daily live
All to Jesus I surrender
Humbly at His feet I bow
Worldy pleasures all forshaken
Take me, Jesus, take me now,
I surrender all
I surredner all
All to Thee my blessed Savior
I surrender all
All to Jesus I surrender
Make me Savior wholly thine
May Thy Holy Spirit fill me
May I know Thy power divine
I surrender all
I surrender all
All to Thee my blessed Savior
I surrender all
All to Jesus I surrender
All to Him I freely give
I will ever love and trust Him
In His presence daily live
All to Jesus I surrender
Humbly at His feet I bow
Worldy pleasures all forshaken
Take me, Jesus, take me now,
I surrender all
I surredner all
All to Thee my blessed Savior
I surrender all
All to Jesus I surrender
Make me Savior wholly thine
May Thy Holy Spirit fill me
May I know Thy power divine
I surrender all
I surrender all
All to Thee my blessed Savior
I surrender all
*The website on which the article was originally posted is currently under construction (see here), so this is a link to an article that contains a copy of the piece.
Photo: The Guardian Photographer: Anders Brohus/AP
Photo: The Guardian Photographer: Anders Brohus/AP
RSS Feed
