Unconditional Surrender

Luke 22:42
..nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.

"God, if you do this for me right now, I promise to serve you for the rest of my life!", I've mumbled to God, when I found myself in situations, where I saw that there was absolutely no escape route. There may not be anything inherently wrong with making such promises to God, but there’s a hint of "conditional" commitment in it. But as I grow in Christ, as the Holy Spirit deepens my root in the Father’s unfailing love, I've come to understand that the only appropriate response to "Unconditional Love" is Unconditional surrender. When we introspect our lives and see how, in-spite of our selfish motives and proud demeanor, God chooses to fellowship with us through His Spirit (as we repent), and guides us (when we ask Him to) with His love - that's when we experience the beauty of the Agape love of God. We learn through every season of life (particularly the dark ones), that God loves us no matter what, and His plans are always the best. Along the journey of life, I learn that He turns water into wine, mourning into dancing, and gives beauty for ashes. When that gets deep in my heart, I slowly let go of my own will, my own plans, and surrender to the perfect and Holy will of God, even if it meant momentary pain and suffering, even if it meant venturing into the unknown and the unsafe.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego did not know what was on the other side of surrender and obedience to God. They did not allow "fear" that could've led them into thinking "What if obedience to God means death??", but they surrendered to God through "Faith" saying "..even if He[God] does not [deliver], we want you to know, O King, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.". Faith is an essential ingredient in unconditional surrender.

In life, I've learnt that we might go through troubles which might seem unnecessary to us, but we will never know what lies on the other side of “suffering”, until we get there. During times when we are tempted to quit or even grumble, let the Holy Spirit remind us of Jesus' prayer in the garden of Gethsemane, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done."

For,

It took "unconditional surrender" of three young men, to bring a pagan king into God's kingdom. It took "unconditional surrender" of Jesus, to bring the whole of humanity into God's kingdom.

Such is the power of complete surrender to God, when our "What if.."s become "Even if.."s. Surrendering to God - is not an indication of weakness, it is the most courageous act of a human who chooses to let go of his own plans, disregard his own calculations, and follow-through the painful situations – by choosing to trust the Highest Wisdom and rest in the Unconditional Love.

No life is more secure than a life surrendered to God (from the internet; not sure of the original author).

And Minnie Louise Haskins's poem "God knows" goes like this,

I said to the man who stood at the Gate of the Year,
"Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown."
And he replied, "Go out into the darkness, and put your hand into the hand of God.
That shall be to you better than light, and safer than a known way."

Too broken for a fix? Too late for a miracle?

Genesis 18:14
Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.

Living in a world where we have instant coffee, instant messaging, instant payments, it's hard to digest the fact that God's timelines are not how we'd like it to be. I watch encouraging sermons, listen to uplifting songs, read promises of God's deliverance and blessings from the Word - to carry the hope of the promise of deliverance as I plod through every day of my life, waiting for God to come through. "Is there a deficiency in my faith? Am I not praying according to God's will? Why do I feel like my prayers are bouncing off the ceiling? I have been patient for months and years now, am I waiting on God for the right thing?" - These are some of the thoughts I struggle with every other day.

What do we do when we feel too broken to be fixed? When it seems like it's too late for a miracle?

We look at the great cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 12) in the Bible, the ones that have gone before us, who've gone through some amazing waiting periods, yet hanging on to the truth that the unchanging and ever-loving God, will never leave them nor forsake them. Somedays I think, is it even possible for someone in the right mind to wait for the promised child at the age of 100? How heartbroken would Martha and Mary have been, when Lazarus died, because Jesus chose not to respond quickly to their crisis? But when every ounce of possibility of a miracle is gone, there is still a way for God to bring the best out of nowhere. For, is anything too hard for the Lord?

Isn't it great, when He was four days late, He was still on time?

Four days late - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=se7yAkqu3Ek

But You're four days late And all hope is gone
Lord we don't understand why you've waited so long
But His way is God's way, Not yours or mine
When He's four days late, He's still on time

Which way, Lord?

Psalm 37:23
The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord,
And He delights in his way.

Psalm 143: 10
Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.

Often times in life, I feel like am at a crossroad, and my mind starts contemplating on the best possible course that I could take. The Corporate world teaches me that I need to meticulously weigh the Pros and Cons of each option, before locking on a decision. Google doesn't help either. All it does is compound my problem, making a mountain out of a molehill - by providing more "options" to consider, ruining my peace. After a lot of thought and second thoughts, I end up with, not a "solution", but increased "confusion". I blame my indecisiveness and I give up. As my mind slowly withdraws from frantically evaluating options, my heart reminds me that I have a better way to deal with this chaos. "How could you forget that you have Someone who has promised to be by your side at ALL times, protecting you and leading you?", my heart says. And then my mind slowly agrees, "Yes, my God, my Good Shepherd, and my Best Friend, directs my path and orders my steps. He leads me beside quiet waters, and I, as His sheep, need only to hear His voice and follow Him.”

It's a wonderful and a comforting truth, the more you reflect on it, the more marvelous it is. The One who knows everything that could possibly be known, the One who holds the universe with the power of His Word, the One who created everything that exists in and around me, the One who's already seen my future and knows it better than I know my past - HE offers to lead me and guide me by His nail-pierced Hands! What an awesome privilege is that? My mind is too small to understand the greatness of this truth - How can a God who is so great, come down and die for me, to teach me and lead me to live a beautiful life, that's better than my wildest dreams and fantasies? True that I have had to cross some valleys of humiliation and depression, true that am clueless as to what God's will for my life is, but it is also true that I'm still alive, basking in the goodness of God even in the midst of every chaos and struggle, as am carried by the One, who once carried the weight of the sins of the whole wide world. It will take Heaven, for me to understand the depth of such unconditional and pure love.

When this great truth dawns on me, the questions like "Which way should I go?", "Which is the best option to choose?" do not torment me anymore. "I will follow Your lead, Lord, wherever it may be, whatever be the cost" is my response to that divine, inexplicable Love, that has promised to never leave me nor forsake me. I then understand that like an aircraft, I just need to acknowledge and obey the instructions from the control room (promptings from the Holy Spirit), one instruction at a time, and I will safely reach my destination (Proverbs 3:6 - In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths). And I quietly bless the Lord, for all that He's done and trust Him for all He's yet to do, and continue with the routines of life, with a peace that surpasses all understanding.

Our minds - playground or battleground?

II Corinthians 10:4,5

4: For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
5: casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
We are surrounded by sources that constantly inject worldly ideas into our minds. These worldly themes and opinions are so popular that if we let those thoughts take root in our minds, they can easily influence the decisions we make day in and day out. If we keenly observe the various messages that we are bombarded with every single day, it's clear that although they don't seem ungodly at first, they are in direct contradiction to God's Word.

"Follow your heart" they say, but the Bible says "The heart is deceitful above all things (Jeremiah 17:9); lean not on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5)". "Plan for the future" they say, but the Bible says "Do not worry about tomorrow, sufficient for today is it's own troubles". "My life, my rules" might seem like a cool motto, but we know that "There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death." The worldly philosopher might conclude that "Happiness is the chief end of man", but God's Word reminds us that "Holiness, is God's will for man" (1 Thessalonians 4:3). The fashion world emphasizes that your beauty is what you look like on the outside, but God's Word says, "the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, is very precious in the sight of God" (I Peter 3:4). The opportunist says, "Go for it now, for the future is promised to no one", but the Psalmist says, "Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him".

Our mind is not a playground for various thoughts to dwell and have their way; it's a battleground where there's a constant battle between these conflicting ideas (worldly and Godly) forcing us to choose one over the other, as we cannot serve two masters.

How do we overcome this battle? How do we choose to live according to God's Word? It may not be easy for us to discern the worldly thoughts, because they often seem very close to "good" thoughts, but when we open up to the Holy Spirit, humbly imploring Him to search our hearts and reveal our anxious thoughts, He will help us with the discernment and lead us in the way everlasting (Psalms 139:23,24). Once the Spirit enlightens us with the Truth of God's Word, there's another enemy that's waiting to pull us down - fear. What if the world does not accept what I believe according to God's Word? What if I look like a lunatic when I apply God's wisdom in my decision making process? What if I wait on God and His unwavering promises and miss out on the pleasures of this life? Someone said, "When fear knocks at the door, send Faith to answer". I John 5:4 says, "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world - our faith". When doubts and fears arise, let the Holy Spirit strengthen our Faith, to trust in God's Word, which is the ultimate Truth and Wisdom, to surrender our lives to Him who knows the beginning from the end. Amen.

Growing in the knowledge of God

Colossians 1:9,10

⁹ For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; ¹⁰ that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

I remember the childish desires I had when I was a kid. I was so obsessed with sugar that I said to myself, "When I become an adult, I'll make sugar syrup and use it instead of plain water". To me, heaven was a place where ice-cream keeps falling from above and there's glitter all around. As Paul says in I Corinthians 13: 11 - When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. Looking back at all those silly childish thoughts and behaviors, I know I lacked sense and maturity as a kid. And now, I appreciate the taste of plain water and am amazed at how I could drink lots of it without ever feeling sick. And I know that an excess of sweetness does not lead to more sweetness, but rather to bitterness. The change in my desires and needs indicates the growth and maturity I've had through life's varying experiences.

As a baby in Christ, we might be obsessed with little things, and might be always asking our Heavenly Father for materialistic blessings. It is perfectly okay to bring our needs to God (for God wants us to rely on Him for everything), but if all we ever do when we come to Him, is ask for something we need – that is an indicator that we need to grow spiritually. As we grow in the knowledge of God through the Holy Spirit, we begin to understand the bigger picture. We begin to realize that God didn't design our lives to be lived according to our whims in cushiony comforts, but rather to carry out His perfect will on earth, glorifying His Holy Name. Once we begin to spend time with God, knowing His awesome character and His amazing ways, our focus in prayer starts shifting from "my needs" to "God's will". We sense God's heart and we begin to know through the Spirit's revelation that we are called to live a deeper life, with godly standards, as a "light" and a "salt" in this dark world. Knowing God and loving Him is the ultimate reason for our existence. The more we know God, the more we can love Him. The more we love Him, the more we desire to please Him. So it all starts with knowing God through His Holy Spirit. Let's not allow life's busyness and self-obsessions to make us blind to the godly purposes of life. Life itself has meaning because of just one thing - GOD. There's no meaningful purpose of life apart from the Creator. Let's grow in the knowledge of Who God is, not just what He can do.

Philippians 3:8
8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ

Once you become aware that the main business that you are here for is to know God, most of life's problems fall into place of their own accord. - J.I. Packer

Disciple vs Follower

Jesus had 70 followers, among whom 12 were His “disciples”. Disciple is someone who’s disciplined, is a matured imitator of his Teacher. A follower is more casual in his approach of following the teachings of the Teacher. As I meditated on it, I felt that we can be either a disciple or a follower at any point of time – a disciple is a matured Christian having a close relationship with the Teacher (Jesus), while a follower lacks maturity. We reflect the characteristics of a disciple when we follow God whole-heartedly, and the moment we lose focus on God, we tend to become a mere follower. It’s the spiritual maturity that defines a “disciple”.

Let God work in us as we become His favorite disciples, as He molds us into the image of His Son Jesus.

Just outlined some attitude differences below:

Disciple vs Follower

- Disciple - Lord, teach me how to pray.

- Follower - Can someone pray for me?

- Disciple - Lord, make me more like You.

- Follower - Lord, please help me become like this, or like that

- Disciple - I trust in You, no matter the cost

- Follower - Desires to trust in God, but cost and the risk seem too high, keeps backups

- Disciple - Marvels at God's character and His ways

- Follower - Marvels at God's power and His wonders

- Disciple - Accepts God's chastening as it is God's love that disciplines His children

- Follower - Assumes God is punishing for their actions

- Disciple - God is his only priority, at all times

- Follower - God is one of his priorities in life

- Disciple - Loves spending time with God, as a close and intimate friend

- Follower - Spends time with God occasionally, more like a formal meet-up for placing requests

- Disciple - Neither worldly success, nor religion makes sense

- Follower - Sees worldly success as a gift from God, and religion as a way of paying back to him

- Disciple - Values the fruits of the Spirit

- Follower - Values the gifts of the Spirit

- Disciple - Loves God with all of his heart

- Follower - Loves the concept of God, and how He "fits" in his life

- Disciple - Knows and acknowledges human weakness; transparent with what he feels

- Follower - Rebukes human weakness and relates it to being unbelieving

- Disciple - No masks, brutally honest with God as with a close friend

- Follower - Thinks it's a sin to question God

- Disciple - Matured enough to not judge people by their outward appearance

- Follower - Criticizes people merely by seeing what they do or by hearing what others say about them

- Disciple - Set apart from the world; unable to tolerate the sinful and ungodly spirits

- Follower - Finds it quite amusing to mingle with the world and still stand for God

- Disciple - Learns to be led by the Holy Spirit, day by day

- Follower - Not much aware of how the Spirit leads and so takes decisions mostly by himself or by listening to others

- Disciple - Overwhelmed with emotions seeing God's directions and timing; Answerer excites them more than the answer

- Follower - Excited about the answers received from God; answers excite them more than the Answerer

- Disciple - Knows that he is highly valued, not by works, but by grace

- Follower - Often feels he needs to do something for God

- Disciple - Knows when it’s his time to fight, and when he is to stand still and let God fight

- Follower - Not really sure when to fight or whether to even fight

- Disciple - Is able to differentiate Holy Spirit's conviction from Devil's condemnation

- Follower - Unsure whether he's convicted or condemned; leading to rebellion or shame

- Disciple - Is loving towards his critics and says, "Lord, forgive them; for they know not what they do!"

- Follower - Is not able show love, to someone who hurts him and says, "Vengeance is from God"

- Disciple - Learns from the Holy Spirit to be like Jesus

- Follower - Learns from disciples or the people around to be like someone they admire

- Disciple - Knows that brokenness is valuable and it lets God's light to shine through

- Follower - Equates brokenness with weakness

- Disciple – Carries the cross and follows Jesus

- Follower – Does not think needs to carry the cross, as Jesus has already done it!