Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Day 10 – My Life to God; My Heart of worship

My Life to God; My Heart of worship

Relinquishing my life to God, total surrender is the heart of worship. This is a natural response to God’s amazing love and mercy. Giving myself over to God is not done out of fear or duty but IN LOVE. 1 John 4 vs. 9-10; 19 – This is Love; not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Romans 12 vs. 1 – Therefore I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy to offer your bodies as living sacrifices holy and pleasing to God – this your spiritual act of worship.

Therefore true worship – bringing God pleasure only happens when I give myself completely to God. This is my act of surrender, which is what God wants from me. But there are reasons why I don’t completely give myself to God, which includes naming a few, FEAR, PRIDE and CONFUSION, not understanding the reasons why I must give myself totally to Him. That it is for my benefit not His.

When FEAR keeps me from surrendering my total self to God, I’m telling God that I don’t trust Him. Yet God loves me all the same and still continues in show me love in every way possible trying to prove Himself to me to little old me. To show me I’m important - Psalm 145 vs. 9 – The Lord is good to all, He has compassion on all he has made; to show me I’m never out of His sight – Psalm 139 vs. 3 – You discern my going out and my lying down, you are familiar with all my ways.; that He cares for every detail of my life – Matt. 10 vs. 30 – Even the very hairs of your head are all numbered – that He has got good plans for my life [Jer. 29 vs. 11], and how He forgives me – Psalm 86 vs. 5 – you are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in Love to all who call. Greatest of all in proving His Love for me, He sent His son to die for me in my place Rom. 5 vs. 8 – But God demonstrates His own love for us in this; while we were still sinners Christ died for us.

Remembering what Jesus did for me on that cross should be enough proof of how much God loves me, yet my PRIDE still gets in the way. My unwillingness to admit to my limitations. My unwillingness to admit that I’m not in charge of everything. [Gen. 3 vs. 5] always trying to be like God. That the desire to have so much control over my life is the cause of so much stress and unhappiness in my life; struggling with God oblivious to the truth that God will always win. Trying always to interfere with what God is doing in my life, never satisfied, always wanting to be that bit taller, smarter, stronger, more beautiful, having bigger boobs – wanting to have it all and do it all – and then become very upset when it doesn’t work out how I plan it to. And then when I see God gave others characteristics I don’t have, Young 20yrs old getting married, I respond with envy, jealousy and self pity.

Submitting my life to God is not fatalism or an excuse for laziness, but may mean giving up some things in order to change what needs to be changed. Surrendering is not repressing my personality, more than that – it enhances it, and its best demonstrated by obedience. And Jesus cannot be my Lord if I refuse to obey him. To Obey God’s word regardless if it doesn’t make sense. Believing and trusting him totally. Psalm 37 vs. 7 – Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him. Instead of trying to make my own decisions I should try trusting God more, even with my finances. Matt. 6 vs. 24 – No one can serve two masters. Matt. 6 vs. 21 – For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. To see Jesus as my supreme example of surrendering – He surrendered His Will to God, and won.

My total surrender should be about fulfilling God’s purpose and glory. Yes surrender is hard work, and in my case intense warfare against my self-centred nature, but I need to remember that it really is for my benefit. That by surrendering my will to Him that created me:

I will experience peace – Job 22 vs. 21 – submit to God and be at peace with Him in this way prosperity will come to you.

I will experience freedom – Rom. 6 vs. 17 – But thanks be to God that though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. Bearing in mind that surrender doesn’t weaken me, it strengthens me, victory is won when I surrender my life’s decisions over to Jesus [Joshua 5 vs. 13], and must be given totally to God [James 4 vs. 7 – submit yourselves then].

Lessons learnt on Day 10

I was designed to worship God, and if I fail to, I tend to find a replacement. And even though I am free to choose what to surrender my life to, I am not free of the consequences. 2 Corinth. 5 vs. 9 – so we make it our goal to please Him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. To remember that the greatest hindrance to God’s blessing in my life is not others, but myself, my self will, my stubborn pride and personal ambitions. That I cannot fulfil God’s purpose for my life while focusing on my own plans that doesn’t involve Him. To hand over my past regrets, my present problems, my future ambitions, my fear, my dreams, my weakness, my habits, my hurts, my limitations over to God. For nothing under God’s control is ever out of control. Remembering that I am able to do it all and go through it because God is with me. Philippians 4 vs. 13 – I can do everything through Him who gives me strength. That surrendering is a daily thing 1 Corinth. 15 vs. 31 – I die everyday I mean that, brothers – just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord. Luke 9 vs. 23 – If any one would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

Lord I ask you to help and strengthen me as I surrender, submit, relinquish, yield my life over to you. Have your way in my life so that I may get more out of the life you have given me. In Jesus Name. Amen.

4 comments:

Vera Ezimora said...

I'm surprised there r no comments. But thank God I'm first!!

2007 is a different year 4 me...I know that much. I have decided not 2 be bothered about things I cannot control. I trust God 2 make a way 4 me and do the best 4 me because He knows me more than I know myself.

I love this post, girl.

Confused Naija Girl said...

Amen to that. I feel that I never truly give everything to God because I wasnt to be in control. I pay we can all learn to give total control to him

Zoe Believer said...

hmm..total surrender. This blog always leaves me with a lot to think about. We cannot surrender until we truly trust. Lord help me to be in total surrender to your plans and purpose for my life. Thanks a lot for this post. Have a blessed day.

The Life of a Stranger called me said...

@vera - this is year 2007 is indeed a year for you. A year of the family, and a year of overflow for you and I join you in claiming it for and your family in Jesus name. Amen.

@confused - Yes indeed - its something many of us struggle to do, i.e.giving God control over ourlives. Praise be to His name that you have made a decision of allowing Him to be In control of your life. There is something great about to happen in your life and its only a matter of time before it surfaces.

@believer - yes Lord, help us to be in total surrender to your will in jesus Name. Amen.