We need to understand the meaning of life from God’s perspective. Jesus can only stand
and bear witness of us on judgement day only if we have lived a life worthy of His calling.
Many people are unable to see the goodness of God mainly because of their perception. If
you look at things from God’s perspective, you will be able to see that you are blessed.
Psalms 23 teaches that in Him we have ALL provision. Being christian does not nullify
hardships.
Contrary, imagine this, the Israelites wondered the dessert for 40 years. The
dessert is such a hostile environment, yet time and time again God provided. The Israelites
had no choice but to be completely dependant on God. Nowadays, Christianity is seen as a
sign of weakness, and is perceived as poverty or lack. But does the book of Ecclesiastes not
explain that amassing material wealth is meaningless without God. Obedient worship is
ultimately the true purpose of life. Each day is a blessing and an opportunity. Let is not take
your whole life to come to this understanding. Therefore, take time to reflect on your life and
all that God has done for you. Self-evaluation will help you gain better clarity on where you
are in your christian walk. If today was your last, would you be confident you fulfilled God’s
intended purpose for you? Reflect on those areas that need change and surrender them to
God.
There is a great degree of self preparation required to fulfil God’s purpose. Why? Because
we will encounter some form of battle and up hill struggle difficult to handle. Alone, we can
feel self doubt and the prospect of giving up and turning back becomes feasible. Embarking
on a christian walk of faith is the beginning of a journey where you must be prepared to fight.
However through the knowledge of Christ, remember Jesus will be with you through it all just
as God was with the Israelites in the dessert. God intentionally led them through a difficult
path to cultivate their reliance on Him and ensure going back wasn’t an option. When God is
about to elevate you to a higher level and it’s hard to bare, surrender to the assurance He
will never leave you, and His plan is perfect.
Surrendering is the foundation of unlocking blessing. To surrender means that you are letting
God take control. Only then will God’s intention begin to manifest. Coming to Christ doesn’t
automatically equal you relinquishing control to God. This is perhaps why no change is seen
from your former self. But when you are able to completely surrender, a new version of you
is evident. “The old life is gone; a new life has begun (2 Corinthians 5:17).
We are living in a time where there is a culture of “alternatives and options”. This culture is
spilling over into how we perceive our faith and cultivating a spirit of self reliance instead of
complete surrender to God. How do we know this? Just look at how nowadays there is an
overwhelming number of people that ONLY seek God in times of desperate need. True
surrender is still CHOOSING GOD, even when all is well, and an alternative is available. Let
God take precedence over our everyday activities and livelihood.
To love God with all your heart and all your soul, you need to intentionally put Him first. God
does not permit anything that rivals Him. Before you turn your attention to the demands of
life, or being up to date with social media and what is going on in the world, take the time to
start the day with God, asking Him to order your steps for that day. Not by coincidence but
intentionally and purposefully carving out time in your day to achieve this.
Romans 12:2 – Letting your mind be transformed to allow God’s perspective to be the main
way you view the world is key. Your perception now needs to be different than that of your
former self. Often people come to Christ, but they still try to live by world standards. Romans
8 teaches to surrender and let the Spirit of God take over your flesh. What is logical to our
way of thinking may often be contrary to what God is intending. For example when Abraham
left his fathers house as instructed by God, had he told other people about this plan, they
might ridiculed him, pointing out the fact that he was 75 years old. Why would anyone uproot
themselves and relocate at that age when they were perfectly cared for where they were?
We humans can see as peculiar or illogical is often logical and makes perfect sense to God.
Surrender is therefore being aligned to God and the ability to still trust Him even if it makes
no sense. This is fundamentally living to God’s standard not conforming to that of the world.
When God has chosen you to be His own, you are expected to live in a different way that
reflects that you are His. Most people live a double life. They want to love God, but cannot
let go of the world. Remember, your body is the Lords temple. (1 Corinthians 6:19) You
should be a reflection of that in behaviour and the choices you make.You still must be a law-
abiding citizen, and above that, lead a life focused on what God is asking of you. Even if it
differs to what the world deems as normal.
As we know, the Israelites were acknowledged by God as His favoured nation amongst all
other nations at that time (Deuteronomy 14:2). But in order to remain favoured, they had to
make an active choice to surrender themselves to God and faithfully keep His commends. A
life in Christ cannot resemble that of your past. Do not question what God asks of you, nor
complain about the difficulties it may entail because you are still His chosen, set apart for
His glory. Your life by default will always be different in comparison to that of those not
called. That is the Devine favour and grace not afforded to everyone. Be grateful for such an
opportunity. In 1 Kings 17: 8-24, the widow at Zarephath received such favour. She definitely
wasn’t the only struggling widow in town, yet God’s grace located her. An opportunity was
afforded her for God to change her life. She did not resist, but recognised the favour. The
story of the banquet in Luke 14:15-24 is a classic example of missed opportunity. Your
inability to surrender can be what blocks favour in your life. It can be the very reason
opportunity and favour locate others in place of you.
In conclusion, you need to deny yourself in order to follow Jesus. (Matthew 16:24) When we
surrender ourselves to Jesus, He will come and live in us. Matthew 6:33 teaches us that all
we hope for will be fulfilled after we surrender and make God our priority. Faith, hope and
trust in God will bring fulfilment into your life. Take the time to read the following scripture to
gain understanding on the concept of surrendering. (John 5:19, John 15:14, Galatians 2:20,
Luke 9:23 and Matthew 26:42)