Enter by the narrow gate….Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life…. —Matthew 7:13-14
If we are going to live as disciples of Jesus, we have to remember that all efforts of worth and excellence are difficult. The Christian life is gloriously difficult, but its difficulty does not make us faint and cave in— it stirs us up to overcome. Do we appreciate the miraculous salvation of Jesus Christ enough to be our utmost for His highest— our best for His glory?
God saves people by His sovereign grace through the atonement of Jesus, and “it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). But we have to “work out” that salvation in our everyday, practical living (Philippians 2:12). If we will only start on the basis of His redemption to do what He commands, then we will find that we can do it. If we fail, it is because we have not yet put into practice what God has placed within us. But a crisis will reveal whether or not we have been putting it into practice. If we will obey the Spirit of God and practice in our physical life what God has placed within us by His Spirit, then when a crisis does come we will find that our own nature, as well as the grace of God, will stand by us.
Thank God that He does give us difficult things to do! His salvation is a joyous thing, but it is also something that requires bravery, courage, and holiness. It tests us for all we are worth. Jesus is “bringing many sons to glory” (Hebrews 2:10), and God will not shield us from the requirements of sonship. God’s grace produces men and women with a strong family likeness to Jesus Christ, not pampered, spoiled weaklings. It takes a tremendous amount of discipline to live the worthy and excellent life of a disciple of Jesus in the realities of life. And it is always necessary for us to make an effort to live a life of worth and excellence.
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Journal DJR
Good morning Lord, You have been showing us about starting our day with surrender, starting our projects with surrender, etc. A full blown, get apart to your prayer closet type of surrender. To be honest, that is a concept that has only gotten an academic nod and lip service over the years. I used instead the idea of dedication of the days and the projects to you. It didn’t work out too well. I found myself wrapped up in the details, struggling to manage things and tired out from striving. Something was missing. It got trite. “Of course it’s dedicated to you, I’m a Christian, aren’t I? Now let’s get busy” It got tiring. So what is it that you want us to see about surrender that will make it effective in our daily lives and allow us to be overcomers and bring “our utmost, for his highest?”
Do you know the context and my definition of surrender? It is not that I want a vanquished opponent groveling at my feet, begging for their life. It is about choice. You choosing the highest and best. But you don’t know the highest and best … because you cannot see the future. But I can. And I am good and I love you. Your job is to believe that in the face of all the stressors that suggest it’s not the case. When logic says it can’t be done and it won’t work out… That’s when surrender comes in. But you’re less likely to remember to surrender if you didn’t start off your day that way. Start surrendered and curious and stay surrendered and curious all day long.
I’ve always felt that dedication (or surrender) could be done in an instant or just a quick part at the beginning of a prayer. But I think I’m seeing that it needs to be more than I’ve been giving it if I want all the benefits that living the surrendered life can bring. Peace, Joy, Calm in the midst of trials, etc. So what does real effective surrender look like?
You can look at what I did and also what worked out for Peter and Paul and John .. and what didn’t work out so well for them also. All of the stories in the Book are there to help you work out the salvation that I’ve put in you. Remember that there are no (or very few formulas) And the answer to how to surrender effectively will vary from person to person. For you, finding a prayer closet on your knees will be effective … because you haven’t been doing it that way. There’s nothing magic about closets or knees. Some don’t need them. But it breaks up and focuses your stream of thoughts and it will be a blessing for you. I look forward to meeting you there. The more we meet and commune in that way… the more power you will take into your day. When you leave that prayer closet you will be not only surrendered but empowered and ready to walk into your day, not stressed out, but curious to see what the day will bring and curious to see how we will work together.
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