________ WHY NOT ________
Living The Christian Life- Difficult? No, Impossible! – Part 3
Living The Christian Life – Difficult? No, Impossible! – Part 3
Before we move on, I want to discuss a few things that may be confused with what it means to live a surrendered life.
1. The first is “resignation”. Resignation is not surrender. Resignation involves an attitude of, “If I can’t have my way, I’ll just have to go along with <whatever circumstance that is controlling my life>.” This often results in anger towards God, as well as depression, because it is not what we would choose if we had the ability to change it.
2. While it may sound good, commitment and/or rededication are not surrender. These are all about what I’m going to do for God; thus, they are almost always done according to the flesh, with the person making the commitment still “in control”.
An attitude of surrender is one of relinquishment. I willfully choose to release my rights and privileges. I trust God to meet my needs in His way and in His time. This choice leads to freedom, while resignation leads to further bondage and bitterness.
For most of us, having an attitude of surrender doesn’t come naturally, and it doesn’t come easily. It almost always requires going through a process of “brokenness”.
Brokenness, the Prelude to Surrender
Brokenness refers to the process of breaking man from putting confidence in anything other than God.
“for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh,” Philippians 3:3
This process is orchestrated by God so that we learn to walk in complete dependence on Him, knowing that only in Christ are all our needs met. Brokenness brings you to the point where you say, “Lord, I can’t, but you can”. (2 Cor. 1:8-9)
Although it can be much shorter, for most of us, the process of breaking usually takes many years and is very painful. We often fail to see God’s hand in the process and fight it as long and as hard as we can. The more determined, resourceful, and strong-willed a person is, the longer the process takes. And remember, brokenness is a process, not a one-time event.
God is Looking for a Few Weak Men (and Women)
From the world’s standpoint, strength is an admirable quality. But from God’s standpoint, our strength is a hindrance to the breaking process and thus, to our experiencing and expressing the life of Christ. (1 Cor. 1:26-27)
“Brokenness” is a common theme in the Bible. If you examine all the people in the Bible that God chose to work through, you will find that for most, their path to surrender was preceded by times of brokenness.
Consider the highlights lowlights of these people –
Abraham – Grew tired of waiting on God for the son he promised. He took matters into his own hands and had a child with Hagar, his wife’s maid. (Genesis 16:2) Out of fear, he lied to King Abimelech by saying his wife Sarah was his sister. (Genesis 20:2) Later, he surrendered – offering his beloved son, Isaac, to God. (Genesis 22:1-13)
Jacob – He was guilty of deceiving his father, Isaac, his brother, Esau, and his father-in-law, Laban. Later, he surrendered after “wrestling all night with God”. As a result, God changed his name from Jacob (meaning “deceiver”) to Israel (meaning “one who prevails with God”). (Gen. 32:28) Jacob would no longer be known as a “deceiver”, but a man empowered by God.
Moses – Went from prince to fugitive. He killed an Egyptian, then wandered 40 years in the desert. He went from being a man of “power in words and deeds” (Acts 7:22) to a self-proclaimed man “slow of speech and slow of tongue” (Exodus 4:10). Ultimately, Moses surrendered to God’s calling to lead Israel out of Egypt.
King David – As a powerful king, he committed adultery with Bathsheba, then tried to cover it up, first by lying, and then by murder. When confronted with his sin, his response was, “I have sinned against the Lord”. (2 Sam. 12:13) Later in his brokenness, David wrote these words in Psalm 51 – “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, ...”.
Peter - Was a hard-working fisherman. He eventually left the fishing business to follow Jesus and later became one of the twelve apostles. Peter was impulsive, prideful, and self-confident.
For example, Peter frequently issued orders to Jesus –
“Depart from me, ...” (Luke 5:8)
“... command me to come to You on the water.” (Mat. 14:28)
“Never shall you wash my feet!”, then, “Lord wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.” (John 13:8-9)
Painful moments in Peter’s life –
Peter sank when walking on water – Jesus replied, “You of little faith...” (Mat. 14:30-31)
God revealed to Peter that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God. (Mat. 16:16) Shortly afterward, Jesus reveals his plan to go to the cross and then be resurrected, but Peter declares “... God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” (Mat. 16:22). Jesus said to Peter – “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me…”
At the transfiguration – Peter was speaking (as usual) when he should have been listening. (Matt. 17:4-5)
Pridefully declaring his allegiance to Jesus –
“Even though all fall away because of You, I will never fall away.” (Mat. 26:33)
"Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You." (Mat. 26:35)
Rebuked by Jesus –
when he fell asleep after Jesus asked him and the other disciples to pray. (Mat. 26:36-40)
when he impulsively cut off the ear of a slave of the high priest. (Mat. 26:51; John 18:10)
Shortly thereafter, we see Peter at his lowest –
Denying Jesus three times. (Mat. 26:69-75) Broken of his pride and self-confidence.
God finally had him right where he wanted him.
Fast forward to one of the most important events in history –
Filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter preached a powerful message at Pentecost, resulting in the salvation of 3000 souls. (Acts 2:41).
It was later in Peter’s life that he was able to write these words, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time,” (1 Peter 5:6)
Brokenness, Not a One-Time Event
While I discuss brokenness as a process and not a one-time event, there is often a single incident in a person’s life that serves as the “final straw”, i.e., a time when a person suddenly realizes their own weakness and God’s infinite power. This often occurs after a series of painful experiences. Peter’s life demonstrated this perfectly. We see a lifetime of pride and self-confidence, and then, finally, Peter's denial of Christ.
And while it may not be as intense, the process of brokenness will likely continue throughout a person’s life. In other words, as long as you are living on planet earth, God will continue to “perfect” you. (Phil. 1:6)
“I Would Never Do That”
In the men discussed above, we see murder, adultery, lies, deception, a fugitive in the desert, and even the denial of Christ. Hear a list like that, and you might think, “I would never do something like that!” But beware, under the right circumstances, it could be you. (1 Cor. 10:12) People who have done these things and experienced brokenness are the very ones in whom the life of Christ can be manifest.
A dear friend once remarked to me, “If you plan to go into ministry, be warned, the breaking process will surely come.”
God uses broken people, i.e., those who realize just how weak they are and how strong HE is!
Ask yourself – What am I holding on to? What am I trying to control in my life?
Ask God- If you are tired of fighting with God, ask Him for the grace to give up control of your life and let Him take over.
This song says it well - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrQuKK6jz-4&list=RDwrQuKK6jz-4&start_radio=1
You may be thinking, “How do I know if I’m really surrendered?” That is a good question. We will discuss this in Part 4 of this article.