Surrender

As I get older, I realize that the path that leads to destruction is wider than I once thought, and the narrow road of life is virtually unwalked, even by those who call themselves “Christians.” Since only the Lord knows the way of the narrow path, why do we insist that we know it better than He does? The unsurrendered life can never follow that tiny trail, though, since it's too busy insisting on its own way, even if that way leads to death.

One author said a truly surrendered person will…
…never be well-known

.…will never live in the nice house, drive the appropriate car, or wear the most fashion-forward clothes

.…will never be wealthy and may never be “set” financially

.…will make a career of loving God and others, even if this means his/her professional career suffers for it

.…will be overlooked (or even mocked) by the “important people”

…will be seen as a fool by almost everyone—even by those in the church

.…will never labeled a success by anyone but Christ

.…understands that to buy the Pearl of Great Price will take everything

.…thinks first what is the mind of the Lord

.…says, “Not my will, but Thine be done”

Hmmm, looks like I have a long way to go before I'm a truly surrendered person! But the reality is apart from surrender, there can be no life in Christ. I used to think that it was possible to be a Christian and yet live just like those around me, but I now know that's a lie. We tend to believe that lie. So we go on stumbling in the dark for a light that can be ours only if we, like that grain of wheat, fall into the ground and die to the rest of the world around us. Only then can we be fruitful, the aroma of God amid the stench of a dying world (John 12:24-25).