Surrender

The wealthy young man we have been considering over the last few days wanted eternal life but wanted to live life his way until the time came for him to die. Today’s passage records his response to Jesus’ call for a fresh start.

I called it the athletic stance. When I coached, it was the first thing I taught. Feet spread apart just a bit wider than the shoulders, knees slightly bent, leaning forward toward the balls of your feet, and both hands open and held out with elbows bent. I lined up the players, had them get in the athletic stance, and then walked down the line, pushing each player’s shoulders. In that posture, you don’t lose your footing; you keep your balance, and you stand firm. And from that position, you can move with agility whether you are a cornerback or a shortstop.

Mary was the first person to receive Jesus on his terms. Many people want Jesus to come and meet their needs, fix their problems, and heal their hurts. Their expectations are centered around what Jesus can do for them. Mary was different. Check out her response to the angel Gabriel, who told her she would have a child.

The armor of God includes a shield as an essential piece of equipment. This shield is needed to “extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one” (Ephesians 6:16). The believer’s shield is not constructed with wood like the ones that the Roman soldiers carried. Our shield is built with faith.

Repentance is a word that doesn’t get a lot of positive press these days. We would like to blame it on the times we live in, but honestly, people have had trouble with repentance since Genesis 3. Today, let’s consider why repentance gets such bad press.

Fear hits us from all angles. We desire to make a difference and fear living a life that doesn’t count. We need control and fear surrendering to God. We fear insignificance and uncertainty. The fear of failure drives us to make rash decisions or causes us to fear deciding at all. And then there is the final enemy—we fear dying. We battle fear, but things change when we realize the battle is too big for us. We are surrounded, outnumbered, outgunned. The battle against fear will be won, at the end of the day, by coming to grips with this truth: The battle belongs to the Lord. That’s what King David learned early in his life.

Sin provides my greatest satisfaction apart from God. Sin is fun…for a time (Hebrews 11:25). It meets my fleshly desires. It gives me control. I think thoughts I want to think. I savor emotions that meet my needs. I do the things I want to do. Sin is all about me and all about me wanting to be in control.

What is God calling you to do? A closer walk with him? A new focus on your marriage? More spiritually intentional parenting? A new career? A new area of service? Are you following God’s call? Do you fear that saying “yes” to God will make you say “no” to something or someone else? Are you afraid to surrender? Why?

Jesus is the King installed on Zion. And one day every knee will bow, and every tongue confess that he is Lord…Ruler of all!! On that day, the world will finally experience peace.