Surrender?

Last month after I finished writing my blog, I decided to celebrate by going to a friend’s church’s 201st homecoming.

Actually, I had planned on going for about a month. I look forward to going to the homecomings every year. The church is about an hour drive from my home.

It’s an old one-room church house nestled out in the countryside. It’s a throwback to SIMPLE DAYS when church was a place where Christians gathered to learn—not be entertained (Acts 2:42).

After the service, my friend urged me to stay for the fellowship potluck lunch. While I enjoyed seeing old friends from BACK IN THE DAY, I had other plans for lunch and the afternoon.

So I snuck out the fellowship hall and headed to a pizzeria in the city. After lunch my plans took me for a fourteen mile bike ride along the Savannah River.

The sights, sounds and smells of spring flooded at my senses. Everything was beautiful until I was about a mile from my car; I felt a burning sensation on the inside of my right knee.

When I stopped to examine my leg, I saw a red mark where I felt the pain. That last mile back to my car was the most miserable time I’ve ever had biking. I began to regret my decision not to eat with my friends.

The next morning my leg was swollen from my knee to my ankle. I was forced to go to my doctor. He immediately knew it was a yellow jacket sting. Hitting a yellow jacket at fourteen miles an hour in shorts isn’t a fun thing, trust me.

By doctor’s orders, I couldn’t workout for a few days. For those few days, I sensed God telling me to go slow and let go like He did years ago. I remembered talking to my parents after my accident in college; my mother told me God had great plans for me, because I shouldn’t be alive. Sometimes I wonder. Then I began to REMEMBER the times in the past when I didn’t listen to Him. When I didn't know what He is up to.

Still, THROUGH IT ALL, He was with me and had plans for me (Ephesians 1:11). Like a few years ago when I was crazy about a young woman who I knew wasn’t good for me. I ignored the advice of my mentor and I gave in to my desires.

looking back, I thought I had learned my lesson in college; even the prettiest apples can have worms. I thought I had learned to make better choices; truth is I’m still a control freak and I want what I want.

If left to my selfish ways I’LL KEEP ON chasing my desires, like a dog trying to catch its own tail, going in CIRCLES. Some dreams need to die; it’s the only way we’ll ever completely surrender to our heavenly father. And that is what this special Father’s Day blog will be about, learning to surrender.

Surrender?

The dictionary defines surrender as: to yield to the power, control or possession of another, to give up completely, to give (oneself) up to the power of another.

This is what happens AT THE CROSS; we give up control of our lives to the care of God. Come as you are—but leave a different person, the cross has a way of unmasking the selfish control freaks we are. Because of sin, we are born this way. There is a natural FRICTION between man and God.

Even after we surrender our hearts to Jesus, we often fight Him. But God’s word reminds us that His plans shall prevail (Proverbs 19:21).

While I was working on my first book, I had planned to use interviews and personal stories from specific high-profile people. The harder I worked on these stories, the faster the doors were closed.

Jesus taught His disciples to cast their cares on Him. He also instructed a rich young ruler how to walk with Him (Matthew 19:16-22). The world tells us to GIVE IN to our desires—the cross tells us to give up our desires.

Give in?

My generation learned to slow down and enjoy the journey, we learned to BREATHE IN, BREATHE OUT and wait for love. But, today many people are trapped in their own selfish worlds. Scripture says we are slaves to sin (John 8:34). Sometimes the hardest thing in life is simply letting go, even for Christians.

At one point in His earthly ministry, Jesus’ closest disciples complained about what they’d given up to follow Him (Luke 18:27-30). And He promised God would make the impossible, possible (27). The apostle Paul declared that the HOLY SPIRIT enables us to wait on God (Galatians 5:5)

I can bear witness to this, not long after my accident, God told me to not kiss a woman passionately until marriage. For a hot-blooded man in college, I thought that was impossible. But, I freely chose to obey, I WILL TRUST Him.

At first I didn’t understand why God was telling me to wait until marriage for a simple kiss. But this I know, I can’t control myself physically. I am embarrassingly weak in this area. It’s too easy for me to go from kissing to touching, to the bedroom.

But, now my desires ECHO those of God’s, I can’t help but think how amazing it will be to kiss the woman of my dreams and lady of my heart for the first time on our wedding day. Because, then we can surrender.