Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. (Matthew 16:24)
Life seems like a rat race. It feels like we are running a course already marked out for us. Winning is paramount to some. Others only want to maintain their place in society and not fall behind. Surrendering seems unthinkable in today’s world. Even today’s church emphasises more on victory, achievement and blessings than on surrendering, yielding, submitting and obeying.
Contrary to how society has shaped and influenced us, our lives shouldn’t be a race. It shouldn’t be a set of checkpoints and milestones. This grind culture life isn’t what God intended when He created us. Instead of living in the pressure cooker, God created us to worship Him. Surrendering to God is the essence of our worship. It is giving ourselves to God in response to His boundless love and mercy for us.
As an introspective person, I spend a lot of time with myself in my head. One of the questions I constantly battle is how to go against the tide and live for God when the grind surrounds me. God reminds me that living a fully surrendered life unto Christ is the answer.
To embrace a life of total surrender means obeying God, relying on Him in each moment and releasing our control to Him. Living fully for God and growing closer to Him is not the result of trying harder. It is through surrendering more and more.
We must surrender our rights to everything. He shall increase while we decrease. It is not easy because it means we must stop having control. We live on God’s agenda, not our own. We must unfollow the ways of the world, abide in Christ and live set apart. We must stop presenting an unreal version of ourselves to impress people and live for the audience of one – Jesus. We must trust that God will reward us for everything we have done and avenge us for all the wrongs done to us, even when nobody else knows them. We must empty ourselves of our flesh, let Christ’s Word dwell in us, let His truth reform our desires and His will direct our ways.
I love this quote, which I’ve come across before: “We tend to think of ourselves as Christians trying to get into heaven. But we are in fact citizens of heaven making our way through this world.” How true this is! Grasping this truth will transform the way we live. Our endless pursuits of achievements suddenly seem pointless. Our anxiety about making something of ourselves will melt away. Our preoccupation with certain things is now childish. Let’s live like true citizens of heaven!
In a world filled with leaders and aspiring leaders, Jesus forfeited His throne and became a servant. It is incomprehensible that a king would wash a sinner’s feet. It can only be because of love and humility. When the world hires, employment revolves around credentials and skills. Skills, growth and promotion are what it takes to advance in our careers.
But in advancing God’s Kingdom, God first looks for availability and obedience. He first looks for servanthood, not leadership. In turn, He makes leaders out of willing servants. He picks out ordinary people to do extraordinary things. All our lives, we live in the trap of assessing ourselves based on our strengths and weaknesses, and we allow our past and opinions of others to limit us. Some assessments of us are accurate, whereas others are not. Either way, we have allowed fear to hinder us from stepping out in faith. But I want to do extraordinary things for God. I will not let my failure or my inadequacy define me. I want to be the one God chooses to work His power from. How about you?
It is high time we change the way we live. Instead of expecting our life to pan out as planned, we must release control and be ever ready to obey God’s still small voice and His assignment for us. Instead of thinking God will only use the more qualified people to make a difference, let’s show up for the one we can make a difference for, to bring light where there is darkness and hope where there is despair. Instead of seeing ourselves as consumers and attendees of the church, where it is the clergy’s responsibility to take care of us, we must also dress ourselves in servanthood to serve the pastors, staff, leaders and fellow brothers and sisters in the body of Christ.
It is okay to be ordinary people. God loves to use ordinary people like you and me. God looks at our hearts, motives, character and attitudes more than anything else. He wants our clean hands and pure hearts more than our accolades. Will you surrender your insignificant five loaves and two fish? When God multiples them to feed the multitudes, the world will see it is not because of how smart, talented or capable we are. We don’t need to be extraordinary people. What we need is extraordinary passion, obedience and surrender. In God’s hands, we become multitudes for His glory!
DAILY MEDITATIONS:
Monday: Matthew 26:39
Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
Tuesday: Luke 9:23
Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.
Wednesday: Proverbs 23:26
My son, give me your heart and let your eyes delight in my ways,
Thursday: Luke 11:28
He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”
Friday: 1 Corinthians 1:27
But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
Saturday: 1 Corinthians 1:28
God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things – and the thing that are not – to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.
Sunday: 1 Samuel 16:7
But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
All scriptures are quoted from the New International Version (NIV).
By Pastor Katherine Han
