Now What?Sample

I love a good ‘cops and robbers’ TV show. Whenever the police are closing in on the bad guys, they yell, ‘Freeze! Drop the weapon and put your hands in the air!’ That’s kind of what happens when we follow Jesus. He doesn’t yell at us saying, ‘Freeze! Drop your weapon…’ But in a way, he does say, ‘Stop! I want to take your life in a new direction. Drop everything you’re holding onto, lift your hands, and surrender to me.’ When following Jesus, he will lead you into a life of surrender. What is it that we surrender to him? We surrender our sin, our self, and our stuff. Let’s briefly look at each. Let’s be honest. SIN can be fun, but it’s also harmful. It’s fueled by selfishness and is the stuff that makes a mess of life. Knowing what’s sin and what’s not isn’t complicated. That’s because God shows us. He does that through the teachings of Scripture and an experience called conviction. Conviction is the sense that what we’re doing or about to do is right or wrong. The Holy Spirit convicts us by making us aware of what draws us closer to him, or drives us further from him. The surrender of ‘SELF’ involves our desire to be in control, perform for others, and prove our worth. These are often the deeper areas where God does some of his greatest work; where he forges our character, integrity, and sense of identity. We surrender our desire to be the god of our life; to be large and in charge, and embrace the role of a follower, a dependent child of our Creator. Victory in this space means we’ve stopped trying to be god and we bow to God. The surrender of our STUFF complies with the truth found in Psalm 24:1, ‘The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him.’ Because he’s the source of all we have, what we have belongs to him. Therefore, we hold our stuff loosely, ready for it to be used however he desires. Surrender is holding loosely to everything that’s temporary and making a priority of all things eternal. Every time God wants you and me to surrender something, he’s persuading us to pursue more of him. Whatever the cost, it’s worth it. Consider This: What’s more difficult for you to surrender to God: your sin, your ‘self,’ or your stuff? Surrender something to him today and experience more of his power and presence in your life.