Surrendering

I sat down feeling very distant and somewhat angry at God and I began to pray insincerely, knowing I was holding on to things I wasn't ready to surrender over to God in fear of what He may do with them. After a while of coming up with excuses and reason why these things were better left in my hands, I heard God speak to me and He had me write it down... 

As fallen beings we do not have the kind of strength it takes to hold on to God the way he can hold on to us. We are prone to wander and to be distracted. We justify why some things should be left in our control and withheld from God often times with ease or even out of habit. Complete surrender is what the Lord requires of us, and He accepts nothing less. This includes BOTH public and private actions, our thoughts, our worries, the words we hear, the images we see, the things we say, the influences from other people, and what we put on and in our body. It is ironic that the things we often keep from God are things that God has graciously given to us and could easily take away at any moment. It is the gradual turn away from God that is the most dangerous which leads to our own destruction, and hypocrisy that is most detrimental to the Kingdom. It is the deceitful whispers from the devil that cause us to become distracted and distant from God. The voice that tells you that God doesn't really care about that, you can't break the habit, it's really not that big of a deal, it's not hurting anyone, I can handle it on my own, or I can worry about God later. All lies!

He wants your complete surrender because He knows you cannot handle it on your own. You do not have the ability to hold on to Him the way that He can hold on to you, so what makes us think we can hold on to both Him and part of ourselves at the same time. The good news is that God has a grip on us with His divine strength and even if you are wounded or wandered, you are not too far away for God to rescue you. He WANTS to rescue you. You have to let go, you give complete surrender... which means obedience, so that He can fully heal you and lead you.

But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ  and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.  I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,  and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.  Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,  I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

       Philippians 3:7-14

To attain the power of the resurrection we must be united with Jesus in his death through the death to ourselves. The power that God will give you can heal your wounds and give you the discipline to stay focused and strength overcome temptations and distractions. He did not say it would be easy, or that you wouldn't stumble, but He did say He will be with you. God is a faithful God and He holds true to the promises He has for you. Christ died for the joy that was set before Him, and by surrendering yourself completely there is a greater joy that is set before you too. He has much greater things that are in store for you, when you are seeking Him with your whole heart and not holding anything back. He will reveal himself to you, show you the things you aren't seeing, and you will be overwhelmed by His love. Surrender yourself and He will make you completely whole.