Recently, I was reminded about a surrendered lifestyle. Hearing this worship song would have been the reason for strolling in this pathway.
You will understand me, as I share a few lines from it.
I lift my hands up
Lay my whole life down
My whole life down before You
I lift my hands up
Lay my whole life down
My whole life now is for You
So gentle, so beautiful.
I will share the lyrics & chords before I sign off this post.
We’ve read from Genesis 1:26, “Let Us make man in Our image and according to Our likeness.”
Yes, we are made by God in His image & likeness. That is the original design & purpose of our creator God when He made us. Yet, He gave us free will to choose the pathway to be transformed into His image & likeness. How does this relational journey unfold?
A surrendered and yielded life is a significant stage of this process. For one, the Lord has given us the freedom of choice. The right choices of a child when options are given bring greater delight to the father than when only the right option is enforced. The latter is not freedom & is not sustainable.
How do you get to make the right choices when you have options. The ready reference that is always available is the Holy Bible. Reading it prayerfully desirous of hearing from it what the Lord is speaking is very important to know God’s heart in every situation of our life. The Bible is the living Word of God. The Spirit of God speaks to us through the Word in the Bible.
Having a daily reading discipline is important. Asking the Holy Spirit what He wants you to understand from the portion being read is a good conversation to have before reading. After reading, waiting to hear in stillness what He’s speaking is very refreshing. If you are new to this, you may take a few days to start hearing. This is often due to years of ignoring when He spoke. So persevering & persisting is important to show that we are earnest in our desire. It’s important not to have any guilt because of our past, rather it’s important to realise that His death on the cross has already paid for all our shortcomings.
Coming back to surrender, let us remember that our role model is Jesus Christ, son of God who lived a life as a man. Recall the power, authority & meekness with which he lived his daily life. He knew his life purpose, as proposed by Father God. He knew it was to be sacrificed as a blemishless lamb for the sins of mankind. So, although the path to the cross was passed through many lanes where he could make other choices, Jesus chose to surrender to His Father’s will.
Here is a snapshot from the life of Jesus (you can refer to the Holy Bible, Gospel of Luke, chapter 22, verse 39 to 44). Some of us would recall that Jesus went to the Mount of Olives, with his disciples following him. Jesus told his disciples, Pray that ye enter not into temptation. And Jesus went a stone’s throw away from there & kneeled down in the Mount of Olives & prayed. He prayed asking Father God in one of the greatest act of surrender, saying, “Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” We read later an angel appeared to him from heaven & strengthened him. Jesus was in great agony. He chooses to continue to pray at this time. His degree of agony can be sensed when we know that great drops of blood fell to the ground.
Most likely many of us may not have to literally crucify & go through a surrendering process as the work at the Cross is a finished work. Yet we have occasions when the Spirit of God asks us to restrain from reacting, speaking in anger, surrendering our right, speaking in love & considerateness instead of righteous anger, spending time instead of rushing by a person seeking a touch, a word of love.
In our workplace, we may have opportunities to cheat at work, not do the work of excellence we are expected to, cheat in a business transaction. In all these situations as you work closer with the Lord, the Spirit of the Lord will nudge you. You can choose to change your response and action & surrender to the Lord’s will. As you continue in this surrendered lifestyle, you will be endowed in graceful power, knowing upfront the attitude & hearts of people.
Have a surrendered life of power & grace with great humility.
References 1
In case you wish to hear the worship song mentioned above https://www.youtube.com/embed/gU-_b-IKGhs
Click here to view the lyrics & the chords
References 2
Luke Chapter 22 verses 39 to 44
39 And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him.
40 And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation.
41 And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,
42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done
43 And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.
44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
