I often have people ask me how they can grow in their faith. I struggled in the very same thing, and sought out a program or a formula of all I could do. The secret I found is this: you must surrender all. Most hear this and move on, not willing that they must give something up. But a rare few will dare to live a surrendered life unto the Lord Jesus. Be one of the rare ones.
Here are some things I have written on being surrendered:
I think the great struggle we have in the Christian faith is that we think it is a great struggle. It is not a great struggle, it is a great surrender.
The secret to victory in the life of a saint is that the victory is the Lord’s. You are the problem and the one who must surrender. Until this happens you remain the oppressor of you. “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57).
Anyone can tell a good story, but it is only a saint surrendered unto Christ that can live it.
Nobody struggles in submission, but only in getting there. Surrendering is never hard, but deciding to is. The Lord Jesus taught, “He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 10:39).
The journey to be in Christ is not a thousand miles, but a single turn. Victory is found where surrendering begins.
The measure of your victory is determined by the measure you surrender.
The greatest saints are merely defeated men and women surrendered unto Jesus.
The ability of God to use you has more to do with your surrendering than His conquering.
Sanctification is the process whereby the right to your life is surrendered over to Christ, parcel by parcel. The process is only complete when there remains no ground in your life upon which you can stand and say, “mine”. “Or do you not know that…you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
The secret to living the life He has for you is to surrender the life you had before.
The greater you surrender to Jesus the greater Jesus will reign in you.
Never measure your faith by how much you do, but by how much you surrender for Him to do through you.
The easiest thing for a saint to do, is to simply fall down at the foot of the cross. The paradox is this, that for most, this is also the hardest thing they will ever do.
It takes no effort to surrender, only willingness. Either you are willing or you are not.
You will never feel complete until you are completely surrendered to Christ.
Victory comes after the surrender. The victorious life is not your victory, but your surrender so that Christ gains the victory in you. Once you die to yourself, then He will live in you. “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me…” (Galatians 2:20).
Jesus never peddled an easy Christian life, but a life crucified unto Himself.
You have nothing to lose once you have surrendered all. Either you are holding onto the Lord, or the world is holding onto you.
Would you just let go already?
Blessings to you,
Paul
I know very few followers of Christ who truly seek this level of maturity. “Life” intrudes demanding attention, focus shifts and Jesus stands there waiting for them. I know because that has happened to me so many times. The most amazing thing is His patience and willingness to let us pickup where we were and restart our journey. Eventually you realize that Jesus would like to come with you into your “life”. When I reached that point every moment became amazing. Great piece Paul.
I have seen the same thing, few people truly seek a life of surrender. The error people have is in thinking the higher faith is for the stronger ones. But it is usually the stronger ones who will not yield. The weaker ones, the ones who empty themselves, these are the ones in which the Lord can do His work. I am the same as you, in that I struggled in this faith journey, and He was so patient with me, waiting until I would reach that point of giving up, and it is there that He can begin His work. So glad to hear you have reached that place, it is a place of new beginning. I think it is not reaching a finish line, but a starting line. Thank you for your kind words!