Why not give up the illusion of control and yield to God's mercy and grace?Let's just admit it-- maintaining the illusion of control is burdensome; there has to be a better way. I was glad to hear Arterburn's distinction regarding surrender, specifically that it is not passive. He makes it clear that surrender requires activity on our part. It requires us to simply admit that God alone is the master of the universe and that He actually doesn't need our help in this department. Allow that reality to sink in.
....since the Garden of Eden, men and women have continually played God and tried unsuccessfully to rule over their own destinies.
When we surrender, we don't just give up or play dead or wait for God to fix us. Instead, we become active participants with God in making a new path of hope....
Surrender is not passivity, nor is it resignation. Its motion requires an active and conscious turning toward God wherein we reflect our willingness to submit to His power by living out our new found truth....
Once the decision to surrender all to Christ is made, transformation begins.
(All excerpts above are from Arterburn, S. (2007, pp.10-17). What have you got to lose? Thomas Nelson: Nashville.
Lord, help me to see the folly in vainly attempting to maintain the burdensome illusion of control. Show me the freedom of a life surrendered to you.
This prayer is a thought- (and hopefully action-) provoking way to start my day.
ReplyDelete"When we surrender, we don't just give up or play dead or wait for God to fix us. Instead, we become active participants with God in making a new path of hope...." The wind changes and we set our sail to make the most of it, "making a new path of hope." That phrase resonates.
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