We'll hardly get our feet out of time into eternity and gaze on eternity and that we bow our heads in shame and humiliation and say: My God, look at all the riches there were in Jesus Christ, and i come to the judgment seat almost a pauper." ~ Aiden Wilson Tozer
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. ~
Matthew 10:34-39
Have no doubt beloved, life on the other side of absolute surrender is a trip.
He will take you places you never expected.
He will tell you things you've never heard.
He will give you emotions you never knew existed.
He will imbue you with infinite power to do His will.
He will Love you like you have never been Loved.
He will give you peace that words cannot describe.
He will comfort you so profoundly that you can actually comfort others.
And He will make you an enemy of many of the ones you once thought were closest to you.
What? Yeah, this is a tough one.
The requirements of absolute surrender are, well..., absolute. And some of the things He has us do as His Word and Spirit inform our lives are simply not going to be well-received, or even understood by many of our friends and family.
Some will reject us for a time. Some will even reject us for life.
Perhaps some of this is because those closest to us, know the hot, juicy messes we were in our (and their) past. And, perhaps they have a hard time believing that the profound changes in our lives are anything other than some swing from one polar opposite to another. Concerns about "balance" in our lives come across in either gentle rejoinder or blatant rebuke and rejection.
What to do?
Do what He says. Do it. Do it now. Do it always. Don't even ever question that G_d is big enough to handle the fact that many of those dearest to us will not understand.
Be convinced; be persuaded that the full council of the manifold wisdom of the very G_d of the universe has been meted out on the circumstance in which you now live. Said more simply: G_d did not say "oops" when your friend or father or daughter suddenly thinks and says that you are a crazy Jesus freak. Rather, G_d knows fully what is happening - and cares deeply about the same.
Be even more convinced that all of this is WAY bigger than we can see. The plans and purpose of G_d pertain to Him receiving His own glory. AND, do not be deceived, the best path to the glory of G_d is the path that brings Life and righteousness and joy and peace to the greatest number of people throughout the ages. And the bleeding edge of bringing this Life and righteousness and joy and peace roils with the turbulence of loss and suffering and pain. There is no other way.
This writer is going through some of this right now. This is not some philosophical exercise by some adroit blogger in the blogosphere. No, this writer can smell the sharp smell, and taste the salty taste of the blood on this bleeding edge cutting towards G_d's glory. It hurts. It hurts in ways that i never knew that i could hurt.
However, i am convinced that i can trust this same G_d to bring these situations to a conclusion that brings about the most glory for Himself. And in bringing about His own glory, He will most definitely bring about the greatest good for those who currently see themselves as my enemy - and for me.
Absolute surrender is not a game. It is a transaction of very heavy cost in our lives. He wants everything we have and everything we are. And let us not ever forget something here: He has already done the same thing for us. – Makala Dulous is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and a new contributor to Freedom Fighter
Team YOU: Num. 3-4; Prov. 22; Mark 3:20-35
Motivations: That which one sacrifices is never lost. ~German Proverb
Practice to Remember: Level 1: Ephesians 3:8; Level 2: Ephesians 3:1-7
Powered Up: You must pray with all your might. That does not mean saying your prayers, or sitting gazing about in church or chapel with eyes wide open while someone else says them for you. It means fervent, effectual, untiring wrestling with God...This kind of prayer be sure the devil and the world and your own indolent, unbelieving nature will oppose. They will pour water on this flame. William Booth - Founder of Salvation Army
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