Giving up self is not so bad when, in exchange, you receive God’s richest blessings!
Message Magazine’s Online Devotional for Tuesday, July 18, 2017
Listen to “Thoughts in Worship 07.18.2017” on Spreaker.
This is devotional thought number 26 in our devotional series, “Essentials of Faith.” Our subject is: I Will to be Consecrated.
Here’s the question for consideration: What am I privileged to give up when I choose to surrender all to God?
“Why should ye be stricken any more? Ye will revolt more and more: The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; But wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: They have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment . . . Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, Ye shall be devoured with the sword: For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it” (Isaiah 1:5-6; 18–20).
Come out, with your hands up!
Self surrender is not so bad if we have a healthy view of self.
I just want to tell you at the outset that I am not attempting to rain on your parade or give you a complex. If you are listening to motivational audiobooks or reading affirming statements to yourself, what I am about to say could be jarring, but you’ll get through it.
In our own strength, we have nothing to offer. All the good we do is marginal at best. If our best now helps thousands of people per day, our best submitted to God would help infinitely more. Our righteous deeds are like filth, in the grand scheme.
Alright. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, here’s the context. Oftentimes, we are fearful of surrendering our all to God because we place too high an estimate on who we are, and what we have without God leading us. Truth is that no matter how wonderful, positive, successful, brilliant, kind, or special we are, we are all sinners. The payment for unconfessed sin is eternal death. That’s not an outcome any of us should welcome.
Real Affirmations
When we surrender all, what we are really giving up is our sinful mindset and temporary success. Who needs that? If we hide our inadequate selves in Christ, and allow Him to take control of everything, then we’ve got something. We can truly embrace that we are special.
You can say, without reservation:
- I’m a leader and not a follower.
- I am the head and not the tail.
- I can handle any trial that comes my way.
- I am successful.
- I will achieve.
- I have a strong mind.
You can affirm that you can do all things through Christ who gives you strength. You can be confident that He who began a good work in you will complete it.
What am I privileged to give up when I choose to surrender all to God? I can give God all of my inadequacies, sinful tendencies, and eternal death; in exchange for perfection, holiness, limitless power, and eternal life.
