Well, where are you going?
It's Sunday morning. You are asked to be the special speaker for your church service. You book a cab to go to church. You are on the way, while the driver takes an unnecessary diversion, and you realize that you are no longer on the way to church. You ask your driver where he is going, and he tells you he has some other places to visit before dropping you off. You are a bit stunned at that and ask him to turn the car back to the church. He refuses. You're getting frustrated and angry. You yell at him, "I am paying you to take me to the church and not wherever you want to go. You drop me to the church first and then go wherever you want to go. YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO TAKE ME WHERE I TELL YOU TO". The driver stops the car and tells that you can get out if you want. On realizing that you had very little option, you get out and slam the door hard. As he drives off, you start thinking of other ways to get to the church - you had a sermon to deliver.
You and God
The above story is a parallel to what's usually happening with us and God. God has been reduced from being the Lord of our lives to being a mere driver to take us to the places we want to go to. We sit behind and tell Him where to take us. He gets instructions from us. We pay Him in the form of monthly installments we call tithe or sometimes more if we are happier with His services. We are expecting Him to be a good driver - obedient, on time, safe and dependable. We don't want unnecessary diversions and delays. We have places to go, things to do, a life to live - so, He better do His job well.
We don't want unnecessary diversions and delays.
I know the above description of "our" relationship with God may offend some of us. You may say, "That's not how I see God! He is God. Not my driver!". But just calling Him the right names alone won't prove anything. We could call Him Lord, Lord, and yet be workers of lawlessness.(Matthew 7:21-23) There are other factors to look at.
Here is a small(not exhaustive) checklist to go through.
Check your prayer life:
How much do I pray?
Is prayer only a means to get something from God?
Are my prayers all about me or God?
Am I the only one talking during prayer - or do I also take time to listen?
Check your quiet times:
Do I rush through my time with God's word?
Does God's word convict me about my character and spiritual state?
Am I teachable and willing to learn whatever God wants to teach me?
Check your obedience:
What do I do with what God tells me? Do I take it seriously?
Am I willing to obey no matter what?
How much of my life does God have control of?
Check your priorities:
What place does God have in my life?
Are there things/people/desires more important than God?
How can I say that God is first in my life?
Check your giving:
How much of your time, money, talents, etc. do you give to God?
Do you give all these cheerfully and out of love?
Are you happy when you keep or you give?
Check your response to situations:
What do you do when things don't go the way you thought?
What happens when the answer to my prayers is delayed?
Do I love and trust Him even when things around me don't make so much sense?
He OWNS you; You OWE Him.
We thought having God in our life will result in more convenience and ease of living. "After all, I can sit back and enjoy the ride. I've paid God for a ride.", That's what we think.
We've truly forgotten the fact that He owns us. The Creator has His right over the creation. "Do you not know......, you are not your own, for you were bought with a price." (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) If He is the Lord of our lives, He gets to have the final say in all the areas of our lives. He tells me what to do, where to go, and how to live. I take instructions from Him and not the other way around. He expects full obedience from my side. I can't have my way over His. He is Lord. He owns us, while we owe Him an unpayable debt.
I can't have my way over His.
So... sadly submit?
So, are we expected to live the rest of our lives sadly with the burden of debt and an obligation to serve? No! We live in the joy of the realization, that Someone willingly paid the debt for us with His very life! That realization ought to change my whole life, resulting in a glad surrender! He proved Himself worthy of being called Lord. So, submission happens as I am awed by His love and what He did out of love on the Cross. God, no longer is a force I am trying to control(pity on those who try to), but Someone Who has captivated my heart with His love. Where He says to go, I'll go. What He says to do, I'll do. How He tells me to live, I'll live. That's surrender - when absolute control rests in His hands.
You'll gladly surrender to, willingly obey, and faithfully serve the good Master. How different must such lives look?
Read:
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Remember:
God can't be anyone less than Lord in my life
I should live by God's instructions - not the other way around
God paid a debt I couldn't pay myself
Absolute surrender means absolute control for God
Reflect:
Why is surrender so difficult?
Where are the areas where I don't let God control me?
What does true obedience look like?
How can I take instructions from God?
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