What if. What if I left everything I knew and loved, all that was familiar, to follow a God who isn't real or powerful or good? What if I packed up my house, moved all my belongings into storage, got on a plane and traveled across the world following a call that wasn’t real or a God who does not exist? What if twenty five years ago the God I surrendered to was only a god of my imagination and all these years I’ve been creating my own sense of spirituality? What if nothing I live for is true; what if nothing I’ve been willing to die for is real? What if I can actually make and shape my own future by pursuing my needs and desires without regard for a sovereign God?
Surrendering to Christ's Lordship involves allowing him to restructure our entire belief system upon the truth of his word, rather than the lies of the world and our own flesh. This entails coming face to face with the greatest fears lurking inside -- the what if's that bind us and hold us back from giving ourselves fully to God. Surrender isn't a minor step of trust but a giant leap of faith, not only when we first put our hope in him but each time he calls us to the impossible. We, like the apostle Paul, ought to be so invested in following Christ that if, in fact, God doesn't exist we're to be pitied above all people (1 Cor 15:19). Counting the cost means realizing that we "walk by faith and not by sight", and we trust in a God we cannot see.
He calls out to us daily to release the things we deem valuable in order to pursue the plans he has for us. The cross he requires that we carry is indeed a cross. Otherwise, he may have told us to take up our hobby or our desires or our love or our dreams and follow him. Instead he gave one of the most shocking alter calls known to evangelicals. He stood at the front of the sanctuary of life and basically said, “Today is the day of salvation. If you want to live, you’re going to have to die. If you follow me, you'll daily have to take up this cross be willing to suffer the loss of dreams and desires of your flesh. You’ll have to be willing to go through intense persecution at times, to leave your family and friends for my sake and go where ever I ask you to go."
Surrendering to Christ's Lordship involves allowing him to restructure our entire belief system upon the truth of his word, rather than the lies of the world and our own flesh. This entails coming face to face with the greatest fears lurking inside -- the what if's that bind us and hold us back from giving ourselves fully to God. Surrender isn't a minor step of trust but a giant leap of faith, not only when we first put our hope in him but each time he calls us to the impossible. We, like the apostle Paul, ought to be so invested in following Christ that if, in fact, God doesn't exist we're to be pitied above all people (1 Cor 15:19). Counting the cost means realizing that we "walk by faith and not by sight", and we trust in a God we cannot see.
He calls out to us daily to release the things we deem valuable in order to pursue the plans he has for us. The cross he requires that we carry is indeed a cross. Otherwise, he may have told us to take up our hobby or our desires or our love or our dreams and follow him. Instead he gave one of the most shocking alter calls known to evangelicals. He stood at the front of the sanctuary of life and basically said, “Today is the day of salvation. If you want to live, you’re going to have to die. If you follow me, you'll daily have to take up this cross be willing to suffer the loss of dreams and desires of your flesh. You’ll have to be willing to go through intense persecution at times, to leave your family and friends for my sake and go where ever I ask you to go."
Jesus’ alter call in no way resembled the “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life” version that we’re all too familiar with. He knew nothing of a self-indulgent gospel whereby God's purpose is to serve our needs and add to our already swelling treasure store of possessions and goals. No, Jesus’ gospel is one that costs a man everything. No holes barred. Nothing held back. Wait, you say. This is too much; it can’t be true. No one would require of me to give up everything, to forsake even my deepest dreams? Jesus says yes, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple....So, likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be my disciple" Lk 14:26-27, 33.
The watered down, luke-warm gospel of many American churches doesn't resemble the real gospel at all. Instead it's the call to "believe what you want to believe and live like you want to live." It's taken root in my heart at times so that when suffering, persecution or sacrifice comes I often feel cheated and angry. As a result, my mind clings to these lies that God exists to make me happy and give me everything I want.
The watered down, luke-warm gospel of many American churches doesn't resemble the real gospel at all. Instead it's the call to "believe what you want to believe and live like you want to live." It's taken root in my heart at times so that when suffering, persecution or sacrifice comes I often feel cheated and angry. As a result, my mind clings to these lies that God exists to make me happy and give me everything I want.
I don't know about you, but I want to know and live by the truth, to follow the one who is the Way, the Truth and the Life, to lose my life daily so that I find it in him. The cost is great, no doubt, but the reward of knowing him far surpasses anything we'll ever be called to surrender.
"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it." Lk 9:23-24
