Surrender?

Lately I have been thinking about the idea of surrender or surrendering.  As a Christian, this has a basic meaning - giving control over to God. I have often heard it said, “let go and let God”.  I think there is even a song or two about this.  I wonder though have we, or have I, had a tendency to gloss over this idea?  

In the New Testament, the words death and dying are used multiple times when discussing “surrendering to God”.  Paul spoke of dying daily (1 Corinthians 15:31) dying to sin (Romans 6:11), to the flesh (Romans 8:13) and to one’s self (Galatians 2:20); he goes on to encourage people to act like him as he acts like Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1, 4:16).  The words of Jesus are even tougher. “If anyone would come after me let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me”(Luke 9:23). (A side note here, a cross was a torture device that was made to humiliate and kill. Jesus is not talking about a piece of jewelry or a cute little design idea you saw on Pinterest!)

Surrender, which seems like an easy concept, you know - letting God help when we can’t do it.  Those “Jesus take the wheel” moments in life have now gotten a lot more serious.  Paul is talking about death and Jesus is suggesting torture devices.  This can’t be necessary today can it?  We are all empowered to be “our best selves” and live out “our truth!”

I would argue “dying to self” is just as important today as it was 2000 years ago maybe even more so.  Social media may say “deep down we are all good.  We just need to find ourselves and follow our path!”  That is a lie as old as time!  It’s the same lie Satan told in the Garden.  We are not good deep down.  We are all sinners.  We can not have life without Jesus.  And we cannot truly live out what God has called us to be and do without dying to ourselves.  

Friends, there has to be more of Jesus in me today than there was yesterday!  This is a sometimes difficult process.  Acknowledging that I am weak runs counter to everything I feel.  But with each passing moment I become more alive and free than I could ever imagine - Jesus lives in me.  My life is in Him!