“If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.“ Luke 9:23 NLT
The title Christian literally means follower of Christ and Jesus made it really clear what a follower of His looks like! It’s a call to surrender my way for His, the life I had for the life He wants to give. To surrender though, implies a giving up and a letting go after a struggle to retain or resist! Surrender isn’t easy, my old sinful nature with its passionate desires and inclinations (Eph 2:3) battles to stay in control, and it takes real humility and strength to throw it off, lay it down and put on Jesus, following His way and His example! And yet it’s His way that actually leads to life, that frees us from the grip of the enemy, and results in peace and joy, what are we giving up really because it’s all to our benefit to follow Jesus! These lyrics are from a new song by Benjamin William Hastings called ‘Abandoned’ meaning unrestrained, uninhibited! Lord, this is my prayer today, this is where the adventure really begins as I surrender all:
‘I’m completely, deeply, sold-out, sincerely abandoned
I’m completely, freely, hands-to-the-ceiling enamoured
Oh, my one-life endeavour
To match Your surrender
To mirror not my will, but Yours
Oh, I’m completely, deeply, don’t-care-who-sees-me abandoned, Oh, I surrender all!