Lessons on Becoming Emptied
Primary:
Read these two articles first.
Total Surrender
God's Total Surrender to Us
Secondary:
This is too much for me. I can't attain it. I can't wrap my mind around what is necessary to be that way. Am I that far from God that I can't even conceive of the kind of surrender He asks? I guess all my talk is just that--talk. So much for running the race, I'm having a hard time getting to the starting line. It's somewhere between defiant and incredulous, but if the Lord expects such things of me, He's gonna have to effect them Himself. I have to give up before I even try; I don't have enough strength to get in position even. I sure hope this isn't the final outcome.
Tertiary:
Lord, I can only seem to think in terms of asking what I can do to be near you. But your methods are so unorthodox. You don't expect doing from me, just surrender to let you do through me. But I can't understand surrender. It seems I need you in order to need you. Such second order desires weary me. If I can't do, what will you do? When will you, or are you already? I imagine your sovereignty includes the perogative to work invisibly. I'm sorry, but I don't like that. I "need" to see results, or I don't believe. Seeing is believing, so they say. Please help me to go it the other way around, as you desire of me. Amen.
3 Comments:
When I was reading the first one, I realized that it is totally out of our human ability to even concieve of doing something with no self-seeking motive. Of COURSE we want to be made holy, and of COURSE total communion with God has benefits to our life! However, his point is that we should be surrendering because first and foremost, we desire Christ. So, yes, Bryan, we are that far from understanding the heart of God that we cannot wrap our minds around that kind of selflessness. If we could, we would be in danger of thinking very very highly of ourselves (though if we were that selfless, we probably wouldn't...catch 22).
I suppose the idea that I cannot surrender on my own strength comforts me. Otherwise, I would be constantly confronted with my lack of surrender - how I cling to those earthly things that I love. Though I am constantly confronted by them, I can shunt the responsibility onto God, saying, "Is there anything I place above you? If so, take it away! Is there anything I haven't fully surrendered? If so, please show me so that I can ask Your help!" Sometimes once He has shown me what I need to surrender, I have to say honestly that I cannot work up the verve to do anything about it, and that He'll have to help me. And you know what? He DOES!
What a mighty God we serve!
Hi Bryan.
Stumbled upon you by accident. I too am religous, but not bound by the laws that man has made outside of the bible. God wants us to enjoy life--be good, but make descions for ourselves. Hence the reaon he gave allowed us to become so complex (our brain, species, etc...). Relax and enjoy life a little--you know what is wrong and right. The wya you interpret the bible doesn't always make sense--or apply to our times (e.g, there is no mention of blogging, internet, magazines, etc...). Sometimes I think God just wants us to interpret things by ourselves, and not so literally. You are a cute soul who God will always welcome.
Well that was out of left field...
I think you missed my point. I'm very aware of what's right and wrong as the Lord defines it. The problem is, I don't have always have the strength to do what I know by the Holy Spirit is right. One thing I do know is that the "Relax and live a little" attitude is the fastest way to get trapped in sin. I'm not against living, because God designed life to be enjoyed, but I am against relaxing when it comes to obeying Him. If that makes life one long, arduous uphill battle then so be it. My reward isn't here anyway, it's in His Kingdom.
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