That's All It Is

(geranium growing down a wall in Lima, Peru)

Over the past two or three years, God has been leading me on a path of growing closer to Him in many ways. Just the other day I was impressed by this thought: There is one thing that matters above everything else in our Christian walk.

Absolute surrender to God.

That's all it is. "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it." (Matthew 16:25)

I could try going into all the technicalities of this verse--but the main idea is, if I'm so focused on my plans, my ideas, what I want to do, that I'm not willing to lose it all for God's sake, then I will end up losing it anyway. God's the only one Who can take my dreams and hopes and plans and turn them into something beautiful. But I've got to give them to Him first.

It applies to salvation too. Do I think I can "make it on my own"; that I can save myself by myself? I'm going to lose out on eternal life. The only way I can find eternal life is by being willing to lay myself down at Jesus' feet and say, "I can't do it on my own...please save me!"

And that big long word "sanctification", that I always had trouble understanding? Same idea applies. "...[I]t is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." (Phil. 4:13) Sure, I have a part to play, a part that can be extremely difficult--surrendering my desires and wishes and wants to God so He can change them from what is natural (but wrong) into what is unnatural (but right). Otherwise, even if I look perfectly okay on the outside, I'm most likely prideful and self-centered--and therefore still quite sinful--on the inside.

Surrender. So simple a word and so difficult to put into practice. Lord, help me to surrender everything, every day, to You!

(This post is part of the Raising Homemakers linkup)