I dream that in a moment of dramatic testing, I’d make the big sacrifice. You know the one—gun to the head, demanding me to deny Jesus, my very life at stake. And I boldly proclaim, “Jesus forever!”, giving up my earthly life.
Yet I can’t give up my place in line at Walmart?
Do you also experience these smaller tugs of war to die to self and live for Christ? Afraid that if you loosen your grip, the situation will spin out of control or a treasure will slip through your fingers? I want to hand over all my concerns and plans to the Lord, but I don’t do it as fully as I’d like.
So how do we learn to let go of our will and grab hold of God’s?
HOW DID JESUS DO IT?
In coming to earth—trading in the Taj Mahal for a shack—Jesus turned Himself inside out, laying down all the privileges of royalty, living in the skin of a servant instead.
Who, though he was in the form of God, [Jesus] did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
Philippians 2:6-7
How could He? Because He wanted to please the Father more than He wanted to please Himself (Luke 22:42). And because He understood the joy to come would exceed the cost of the moment (Hebrews 12:2).
So He surrendered to the moment (Luke 23:46).
YOUR MOMENT OF SURRENDER
Which moment is your grand moment of surrender? This one.
Maybe you’re not asked in this moment to physically die for the cause, but you are daily called to numerous symbolic deaths. Consider these five practices to help surrender a little thing today.
5 LITTLE THINGS TO GIVE UP
1. Give up the last word
In that discussion with your man or a co-worker, eliminate a few of your own words and instead listen to more of theirs. Giving up your demand to be understood and have the last word makes a difference in the climate of your home or office. Jesus was amazing at this (Mark 15:3-5).
2. Give up your place in line
That harried mom with the whiny toddler? Let her cut in line at the grocery store. Or make room for that speeding maniac to merge in front of you in traffic. By surrendering your place in line—literally and figuratively—you practice putting others before yourself, exactly what God did for you (Romans 8:32).
3. Give up doing it alone
Winning the prize for “Ms. Independent” isn’t a trophy you want. Practice humility by accepting help from others and learn selflessness by giving help to others. Even Jesus did nothing by Himself (John 5:19).
4. Give up a dollar
If your finances allow, add an extra dollar above your normal tip to the waitress. Or toss some cash to the guy collecting money for a good cause outside the mall. Small sacrifices are big practices for storing less treasure here and releasing more into the Kingdom (Matthew 6:19-21).
5. Give up the clear answer
Sometimes we hesitate and wait for overwhelming confirmation and safety before we’ll step out in faith. And while Jesus says count the cost, he also says follow him (Matthew 8:22). Peter didn’t have time to analyze the water temperature and buoyancy levels before he walked on the water to Jesus. Surrender your desire for perfect clarity and instead depend more on God’s grace.
LITTLE IS BIG
Every surrender is an offering to God that can bring Him glory, no matter its size. And maybe the little things are really big after all. Because when we surrender to Jesus, we lose nothing of value, but we gain an eternity of joy.
What “little things” are hard for you to surrender on a daily basis? What helps you give them up? Do you have a favorite scripture about surrendering? Please leave a comment below.
Thank you, Lisa, for this particular word today! I shall be carrying it with me today as I walk through the day. ;-)
In your year of “Surrender”, I know you intentionally have your heart set on things like this already. Praying for you in the little and big surrenders today.
This is huge: “Because He wanted to please the Father more than He wanted to please Himself (Luke 22:42).” If I’m fully aware in a moment and realizing how much I’d rather please God, my choices change drastically.
These 5 tips are fantastic, Lisa. I need these on a printable card to tape in front of my face every day. :-)
Giving up the last word is one I didn’t even realize I had a hard time doing (until my sweet husband who is really good at providing balance for me showed me). Though these actions might seem “small,” I’d wager they have huge, rippling effects.
My husband is good at providing balance for me, too. I need community in my life to help me hear clearer from God. # 3 doesn’t always come easy to me (surrender doing it alone) but oh, how I need to do it more! I even had that conversation last night with friends in my Bible study group. :-)
Great post, Lisa. You are so right! I think I would never deny Jesus, but I deny Him when I refuse to deny myself. I am one who always loves to be right, unfortunately.
I think many of us would have to confess with you that we love being right. I also have this strong desire to be *understood*, even if not necessarily agreed with. Hard to let go of those kinds of things–and they’re not always wrong–but too often I allow them to negatively get in the way of loving people like Jesus would.
You state this so well:
“I think I would never deny Jesus, but I deny Him when I refuse to deny myself.” Truth.
This is convicting. What do I refuse to surrender — and as the previous commenter wrote, in refusing, deny Christ? Definitely something to meditate on today.
Yes, I need to continue meditating on that as well. One of the hardest things for me to surrender is my schedule. I like to make plans everyday (not a bad thing) but when I grip them too tightly, I get in spiritual trouble. Yet if I’d re-think about my grip as “denying Christ”, I’d surely loosen up a lot quicker.
I was trying to roll my eyes around and whistle while I was reading about the maniac in traffic… Have you been trying to follow me? I’ve always said you can tell more about a person by watching them in traffic than you can by any other means of measurement. The peace and joy from practicing the gift of humility is so over looked by the world, the church, and certainly me… Good words, Lisa. You got me. I’m thinking… Thanks.
You can probably relate to this then, Floyd: one of the best motivations for me to stop driving like a maniac (yes, count me in that club too, unfortunately) was when we started teaching our girls to drive. It made me realize that’s not how I wanted *them* to drive, and it’s not how I wanted other drivers to treat them. It’s still a struggle for me, but maybe, maybe, I’m improving. :-)
You’re onto something with that gift of humility…we do undervalue the benefits that come from it. God knows best, once again.
That’s so true that we’re more than ready, at least as far as we know, to make the big sacrifices, the grand surrenders, but cling to our “rights” in the everyday. Something in Amy Carmichael’s biography has come back to me often through the years: she was being chastised by a coworker for something innocent, and as her temper was rising to meet the occasion, the thought came, “See in this a chance to die.” So she let it go. I need to remind myself of that so often.
Love that story, Barbara! I hope it will stick with me, too. Those everyday “chances to die” seem so inconsequential, but it’s those frequent choices upon which our lives are built.
Let it go…. Yes. I to have a struggle to want others to understand my side ( the correct view of something :) ) Yes surrender in that moment. Be aware of what would please and show God in THIS moment. Be much quicker to listen than to speak. Thanks for the encouraging words Lisa
Yes, it’s easier for me if I just think about THIS moment, not all the thousands that are to come. :-) This one is enough, and this is the very one God is in. So thankful for His presence in our present (and past and future).
And I’m also thankful for your friendship, Susan. Your comments bless.
Oh how I love this… surrender to the moment, yielding our will to His, and there is no telling how He will use this. Thank you so much. I am trusting Him to work this into me as I go through my day today.
This is exciting: “there is no telling how He will use this.” I agree with you, Barbara, that we really can’t predict what He will put in our path next. What a blessing that you are so open to be used by Him. Praying you have a delightful day full of surprises.
Lisa, thank you for bringing the truth of surrender down into our moment by moment decisions. You said it beautifully and practically and have challenged me!
Those moment by moment decisions are the ones that matter the most because they’re really the only ones we have, yes? They challenge me, too. Thankful you came up with this topic for April; it’s been a beneficial one for me.
I always believe I can do everything because of Him who strengthens me