Week 10

This week you needed to:

• Read chapter 10
• Read Psalm 37

Chapter 10: Surrender Your Daily Life to God

Surrender: to give oneself up, as to an enemy.

There is a war raging that we cannot see. Eph 6:12 talks of a battle that is not of flesh and blood. It is a battle raging on another level, for something more dear than human life: human souls.

There are two sides to this war. In John 8:38-45 you hear of the two sides: God and the devil.

In a war, how do we know who the enemy is? Think about the “bad guys” in WWI, WWII, VN War, Gulf War. What characteristics did they have? (wanted us dead, had different beliefs, some abided by the rules of engagement, others cheated)

In the war for our souls, it’s not so obvious who the enemy is. The enemy is a master of disguise.

Sometimes we ourselves think we know which side we’re on, until we wake up one day and find ourselves on the wrong side of the world. James 1:23-24, Luke 6:44

Galatians 5:13-26 will help you understand.

So what do we need to do? Katie says it’s a daily surrender. Sometimes it’s a moment-by-moment surrender. The first step is to make sure that you have truly surrendered to Christ. Can you share when you first came to Christ?

I remember some pictures coming back from the war in the Middle East. There were some Iraqi soldiers surrendering to US Troops. They carried a white flag and walked with hands raised.

I see similar scenes inside churches…think about it. Tissue in hand, a tearful repentant soul raises their hands in surrender to God. It’s the universal signal of surrender!

Another definition of surrender is: To relinquish possession or control of to another.

Luke 14:33 "So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.”

In South America, they hunt monkeys. Some use arrows or darts, but there is another way. They bore a hole in a log and put some kind of fruit inside the log. The monkey smells then sees the food and grabs for it. But the hole was only big enough for their hand to get down into, not a fist full of something to come back out of. These monkeys and their desire for food overcome their fear of being trapped. They are then easy targets for hunters.

Sometimes we find ourselves holding too tightly onto something. It might be a dream for a big house, a fancy car or prestigious career. We hold on so tightly we don’t see that it is actually a trap. When we find bankruptcy, the repo man or unemployment knocking at the door we find it’s too late to turn it loose.

What are you holding on to too tightly? What occupies your thoughts most of the day? That’s a big clue. Why not surrender this item to the One who can deal with it?

When you became a Christian, surrendering your life was the first step. Now it’s time to start turning the baggage over to Him too. Didn’t He promise His burden was light? Matt 11:28-30

I’m not saying it is easy. I agree with Katie. Surrender may take a moment or it could take years. It could be giving up control over your future plans, or a sweet tooth. The good news is that your obedience will be rewarded.

• One reward of surrender is a transformed life. We start to experience the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, and patience… Gal 5:22-23
• Another is a gift of wisdom. Imagine knowing what you’re supposed to do, rather than confusion, uncertainty or indecision!
• The best reward is pleasing God. He is the king of the universe and He will NEVER leave us for let us down.

So Katie’s toughest question came from her pastor’s wife: would we still follow God even if He never did another thing for us? That’s tough. Read what Habakuk in the Old Testament says in 3:17-19

Take 10 days

• Fast from tv and radio—make the house as still as possible and open your Bible. Ask the Holy Spirit to show up to reveal what you need to surrender and then listen.
• While you’re waiting, investigate, ask questions of friends and family—what are you hanging on to?
• Think about what would happen if God did take something from you—your health, your child, your job, your car? Prepare to really let go.
• Once you make the surrender, keep seeking transformation. Rom 12:2 If you’re not serious, this was just another new year’s resolution.
• Declare your surrender, either in your journal, to a prayer group, accountability partner. You need to be held accountable for this choice.
• Ask for prayer!
• If it’s too much, try one day of surrender. Try something small. There is freedom.

His call is for unconditional surrender—but His reward is unconditional love.

This week:

• Work on surrendering at least one thing this week
• Read Chapter 11