I had such a strong impression from the Lord this weekend that I thought I'd blog it. We're in a series titled Influence. Here's how we're defining it: leveraging everything we are and everything we have for God's purposes.
Long story short, I believe that God's purposes for our lives are way beyond our wildest imaginations. But most us are falling short of that. There is a gap between our dreams and our reality. And the gap is the result of something we haven't surrendered to the Lord.
I challenged our Saturday night service to find a place to kneel before the night was out and surrender that thing to the Lord. I actually asked for a raise of hands with eyes open. I wanted people to see how many other people had things they needed to surrender. I'm sure some didn't have the courage to raise their hands. But about half the hands went up.
What do you need to surrender to the Lord? Find a place to kneel before the day is done, and give it over to God. Then, and only then, will you start to experience the kind of influence God has destined for you. You'll feel like you're giving something up, but you'll get back so much more in return.
Long story short, I believe that God's purposes for our lives are way beyond our wildest imaginations. But most us are falling short of that. There is a gap between our dreams and our reality. And the gap is the result of something we haven't surrendered to the Lord.
I challenged our Saturday night service to find a place to kneel before the night was out and surrender that thing to the Lord. I actually asked for a raise of hands with eyes open. I wanted people to see how many other people had things they needed to surrender. I'm sure some didn't have the courage to raise their hands. But about half the hands went up.
What do you need to surrender to the Lord? Find a place to kneel before the day is done, and give it over to God. Then, and only then, will you start to experience the kind of influence God has destined for you. You'll feel like you're giving something up, but you'll get back so much more in return.
9 Comments:
The surrender gap, between where I am and where God wants to take me.Closing the gap is totally on us because God has not changed since he reminded us the last time.
Thanks for your leadership on this topic. I indeed have things to surrender so that the Lord can move in my life without competing with everything else I manage to put in the way of his desires for me.
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I can see many gaps in my life, some litte and some big. There as a result of bad decisions I made because I refuse to surrender COMPLETELY. I have surrendered to the point of salvation, but there is that completely "sold out for Jesus" surrender that I need. I struggle with either not knowing what it is that I need to surrender or scared to surrender the thing He has convicted me of. I find it is a daily commitment and decision to surrender. Sometimes moment to moment.
Surrender is so intense because compromise is so subtle.
I'm moving to DC in August, and I can't wait to see you in person! No pressure. ;)
Hey, Mark!
The topic of surrender is close to my heart. It's something I continue to struggle with every single day. It's not a difficult concept to understand; instead, it's because of our own corrupt human nature.
Surrender requires obedience. Obedience requires us to trust Jesus Christ for who He is and what He desires to do in our lives.
One of the most difficult challenges in today's culture is trusting anyone because so many continue to disappoint. In my own life, I made some very poor choices that the Lord forgave when I confessed them and repented for my actions. However, those in the church were not so forgiving. I'm a believer and that has happened to me. The most successful churches in the Nashville area today are those that cater to people who have been disillusioned by church and Christians. I attended The Bridge Fellowship here for two years before I would join. I was waiting and watching to see if they really practice the authenticity they taught.
Because our society is so full of disappointment today, even Christians have a difficult time trusting. We have to get past the people out there who refuse to live the lives that Christ called them to in extending grace and mercy to those who need it, and look to Jesus Christ.
There is NO other life other than the Christian life when compared. I'm not speaking of comparisons to Mormonism, Islam, other the other major religions of the world. I'm referring to comparing the Christian life to a life of hedonistic choices, regardless of the tenor of those lifestyles. The reason? Because God's Word never fails.
I guess I said all of that to say that if we can hang in there, and trust Jesus Christ in all that we do, obedience, and then surrender comes evolves.
It's funny that this was your topic yesterday. Today's devotional in "My Utmost for His Highest" deals with "total abandanoment". Check it out: http://www.myutmost.org/04/0428.html.
I wish you the very best, Mark. I'm glad that the Lord is using you in a mighty way.
Please give Lora my regards and a hug for me.
Jack
I pray for people to follow Him cloesly enough to see the joy the freedom in the surrender.....
Yea that post stopped me in my tracks. Thanks
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