wild surrender
It's been a weird day.
An odd week really. I am tired, I should be asleep, but I need to write these words.
Just a few moments ago, some words settled deeply in my heart...
The more I learn about the dynamic of a sheep and a shepherd, the more I am amazed.
I will not spend a lot of time breaking down all the dynamics but I would encourage you to learn about them. It is truly amazing how many incredible metaphors there are when it comes to painting a picture of the way the Lord cares for us, His sheep.
This set me down the course of listening to a sermon on the 23rd psalm that reminded me that sheep don't strive. They don't have to one up. They don't have to be the one to work the hardest or perform the best, they simply follow the shepherd who feeds them, protects them and cares for them.
This is not easy for me.
I am a lifelong striver.
I suffer from chronic striving.
I am just now realizing the actual depth of this problem.
Something else that jumped at me in the sermon was the statement "Don't stray to the right or to the left."
Many years ago as a naive twenty something, I went on a mission trip while I was serving in Kentucky. During that trip and older lady called me to her room and asked me my testimony. I shared it and then she said to me, "Linda, that Lord wants you to keep your course steady. Do not stray to the right or to the left."
I have no idea how well I have stayed the course over the years since she uttered those words to me. In fact, I hadn't thought of them in quite a while until I was reminded just this week.
Do not stray to the right or to the left.
Fix your eyes on Jesus.
I will be frank, my life is NOT what I thought it should be. Every single day the Lord tosses things at me that I cannot make sense of and don't seem to understand.
Yet He beckons me to stay the course. Follow, don't question.
Yes, the road of following Jesus is terrifying.
Yes, I am unsure of where it will go.
But I know who leads the way.
I know that He loves me even more than I selfishly love myself.
I know He knows better than I do.
I know that things that seem like foolishness to me are beauty to the Lord.
I know that I cannot force any door open that he does not open and if I do I will regret it.
Many years ago the concept of God's best settled into my soul. I want God's very best for me. I want to be surprised by the joy of what He will bring to my life when I stop looking around and trying to figure it out and just start trusting completely that He will lead. He knows what I need so much better than I do and though it may not come in the package I think I want, I know that God's best for me means unrelenting joy in my life.
So how do I stay on the path and not stray to the right or to the left? How do I discover God's VERY best for me and experience this unrelenting joy?
Two words.
Wild. Surrender.
Defined that means:
uncontrolled or unrestrained, yielding or ceasing of resistance to an opponent and submitting to their authority
To yield without restraint...
Just thinking of that scares me and excites me all at the same time.
I do not want to ever settle for less than God's best for any part of my life.
My job, my marriage, my family, my hopes, my dreams, my purpose... I could go on forever.
I want to fling off all the restraints of things that have held me back or weighed me down.
Lack of belief in myself, unrealistic ideals, feelings of unworthiness or inadequacy, the way I think things should be and so much more. I want to CHUCK them all down at the foot of the cross and say enough is enough. I want all of you want and ONLY that.
If you slay me, let me praise you.
If you take everything from me, let me give you glory.
And when you take all the things that seem meaningless, insignificant or like absolute disaster and brokenness to me and use them to completely blow my mind, may I cry out in worship to the name of a the Lord who sees and knows me. Who knows what I need, far past what I want. Who gives me good gifts when I seek out junk. Who satisfies longings and needs I have yet to recognize I even have.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. Hebrews 12:1-2
Wild. Surrender.
An odd week really. I am tired, I should be asleep, but I need to write these words.
Just a few moments ago, some words settled deeply in my heart...
"Wild Surrender"I have been thinking and learning a lot about being a sheep over the last couple of weeks. Sheep are not brilliant animals. In fact, sheep are one of the only animals that do not survive well without assistance. Yet the Lord makes clear multiple times in His word, that He looks upon us as sheep. He says that He is our shepherd.
The more I learn about the dynamic of a sheep and a shepherd, the more I am amazed.
I will not spend a lot of time breaking down all the dynamics but I would encourage you to learn about them. It is truly amazing how many incredible metaphors there are when it comes to painting a picture of the way the Lord cares for us, His sheep.
This set me down the course of listening to a sermon on the 23rd psalm that reminded me that sheep don't strive. They don't have to one up. They don't have to be the one to work the hardest or perform the best, they simply follow the shepherd who feeds them, protects them and cares for them.
This is not easy for me.
I am a lifelong striver.
I suffer from chronic striving.
I am just now realizing the actual depth of this problem.
Something else that jumped at me in the sermon was the statement "Don't stray to the right or to the left."
Many years ago as a naive twenty something, I went on a mission trip while I was serving in Kentucky. During that trip and older lady called me to her room and asked me my testimony. I shared it and then she said to me, "Linda, that Lord wants you to keep your course steady. Do not stray to the right or to the left."
I have no idea how well I have stayed the course over the years since she uttered those words to me. In fact, I hadn't thought of them in quite a while until I was reminded just this week.
Do not stray to the right or to the left.
Fix your eyes on Jesus.
I will be frank, my life is NOT what I thought it should be. Every single day the Lord tosses things at me that I cannot make sense of and don't seem to understand.
Yet He beckons me to stay the course. Follow, don't question.
Yes, the road of following Jesus is terrifying.
Yes, I am unsure of where it will go.
But I know who leads the way.
I know that He loves me even more than I selfishly love myself.
I know He knows better than I do.
I know that things that seem like foolishness to me are beauty to the Lord.
I know that I cannot force any door open that he does not open and if I do I will regret it.
Many years ago the concept of God's best settled into my soul. I want God's very best for me. I want to be surprised by the joy of what He will bring to my life when I stop looking around and trying to figure it out and just start trusting completely that He will lead. He knows what I need so much better than I do and though it may not come in the package I think I want, I know that God's best for me means unrelenting joy in my life.
So how do I stay on the path and not stray to the right or to the left? How do I discover God's VERY best for me and experience this unrelenting joy?
Two words.
Wild. Surrender.
Defined that means:
uncontrolled or unrestrained, yielding or ceasing of resistance to an opponent and submitting to their authority
To yield without restraint...
Just thinking of that scares me and excites me all at the same time.
I do not want to ever settle for less than God's best for any part of my life.
My job, my marriage, my family, my hopes, my dreams, my purpose... I could go on forever.
I want to fling off all the restraints of things that have held me back or weighed me down.
Lack of belief in myself, unrealistic ideals, feelings of unworthiness or inadequacy, the way I think things should be and so much more. I want to CHUCK them all down at the foot of the cross and say enough is enough. I want all of you want and ONLY that.
If you slay me, let me praise you.
If you take everything from me, let me give you glory.
And when you take all the things that seem meaningless, insignificant or like absolute disaster and brokenness to me and use them to completely blow my mind, may I cry out in worship to the name of a the Lord who sees and knows me. Who knows what I need, far past what I want. Who gives me good gifts when I seek out junk. Who satisfies longings and needs I have yet to recognize I even have.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. Hebrews 12:1-2
Wild. Surrender.
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