the greatest transaction

We’ve all seen it in the movies— an underdog frantically trying to outwit his enemy. In a final state of helplessness and desperation, usually on the brink of death, he lifts up his hands in surrender. My quick definition of surrender has always been “to give up,” and I usually associate it with loss. If the underdog surrenders to his enemy, he’s probably losing freedom. If a football team surrenders to their opponent, they’re going to lose the game.

I strongly believe that one of the most prominent fears in our world today is failure. We want to be the best at everything and anything less makes us feel insufficient. This is a dangerous fear because it affects every aspect of who we are. We wanna be the best sibling, friend, student, athlete, leader, parent, coach, mentor, or teacher. We convince ourselves that productivity is our purpose and quickly find ourselves wrapped in a never-ending busyness that steals joy and peace. Maybe you’ve fallen prey to this pattern. Maybe you know this old friend of mine: STRIVING. Yep. It’s a hard one to break away from. Some of you just breathed a sigh of relief knowing you’re not the only one who’s battled it. Well, let’s not just acknowledge the problem! HOW on earth do we stop?! >>

Surrender. Give it up.

WHAT IT TOOK FOR ME

Take it from me! Here’s my testimony with surrender— I’ve always been extremely self-motivated and a real go-getter. I had big dreams and only trusted myself in the process of getting there. I was always so afraid to give up control to someone invisible and only wanted to trust what I could see and touch with my own hands. It took these 2 realizations for me to surrender::

1— Giving up control is not the same as losing control. When I give God control, I’m putting my life in the hands of someone far stronger, wiser, and more capable than myself.

2— Jesus is the lifter of His people.

Even after all the years and years and hours and hours of hard work, it was never my resume or grades that got me into Auburn. It was never my friendships that got me into Alpha Gam. It was never my charisma that brought me friendships as a freshman. It was never my finances that brought me daily means to survive. It was all the Lord. Do you know Him as a Giver? No seriously, are you completely dependent on Him to provide, or are you just trusting yourself? Y’all the pressure is OFF! You don’t have to live flawlessly, accumulate favor with tons of people, or keep up the busy schedule. He knows what you need better than you do and He’s gonna provide! Would you just trust Him? Any door that opens is only because He opened it. Any door that closes is because He is leading you to another. Knowing that God is always working on our behalf doesn’t give us an excuse for laziness. Instead, it gives us peace along the process and in the waiting. We should continue living with “a whole heart and a willing mind” (1 Chronicles 28:9) and trusting Him with the outcome.

THE INVITATION

Jesus demands and deserves first place in our lives. Every time he invites people to follow him, he requires that they leave everything and follow Him. Let’s look at 3 instances::

Matthew 19:21 “Jesus said to him, ‘If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.’” This is the story of the rich young ruler. In verse 22, the Bible says that he was “sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” This man decided that his possessions were more valuable than Jesus. He could not make the required sacrifice.

Jesus makes the same request to his disciples in Matthew 4:19. “And He said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.’” Their response is found in the following verse: “Immediately they left their nets and followed him.” These guys didn’t just run in to Jesus on a fishing trip; fishing was their means of survival. It provided food and income for their families. They decided that Jesus was more important than their careers, dropped everything on the spot, and followed Him for the rest of their lives.

Guess what? Jesus is extending the invitation to you too! Matthew 16:24 “Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.’” So now it’s up to you. Is Jesus worth it? Jesus has promised faithfulness to you! He will prove himself more valuable than anything, tangible or intangible. He is always true to His Word. At the bottom of this post, I’m including promises you can cling to.

IS IT WORTH IT

In the business world, there’s a term called “positive return.” It means that the company you’ve invested in is generating more money than you put into it. In other words, outcome is greater than input. The amount you sacrificed in the beginning has not only been returned to you, but now you’re actually MAKING money off your investment. This is a BEAUTIFUL picture of surrender. It’s counter-culture! Surrender with Jesus Christ is NOT about loss. Surrender is not the acceptance of defeat, it’s the transference of control to a more dependable source. It’s the first step to GAIN, to living the abundant life you were created for (John 10:10). Y’all this is something to be so thankful for! In most other religions, people are required to give up everything for nothing in return. They serve an unresponsive God (1 Kings 18). Because Jesus is our Shepherd, we are never left wanting (Psalm 23:1). In Mark 10:30, He promises that when we receive him we get His presence in our life, the gospel, and a hundredfold of blessings. He isn’t just matching our loss, He is doing exceedingly more. I pray that we would be satisfied with His presence alone, needing nothing more and stewarding all that He graciously gives.

I WANT IN !!

Prayer is the best place to start! Consider expanding on these thoughts as you spend time with the Lord:

• Help me get rid of pride.

• I am at the end of myself, desperate & fully dependent on you.

• Thank you for giving me abundantly more than I need or deserve.

• Thank you for the great benefit of your presence in my life.

• Teach me how I can give back to you all that you have given me.

PROMISES YOU CAN CLING TO !!

He is your shield— Psalm 3:3

He gives peace--- Isaiah 26:3

He will always be with you— Deuteronomy 31:8

He gives rest— Matthew 11:28-30

He frees you from sin— John 8:36

He meets your needs— Philippians 4:19

He comforts you— Psalm 23:4

He forgives— Psalm 103:12

He never forsakes— Psalm 9:10

He gives joy— Psalm 4:6-7

He gives abundant life— John 10:10

He brings strength and power— Psalm 68:35

He loves you unconditionally— Romans 8:38

He gives compassion— Psalm 103:4