Giving you all
Introduction
24Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.
Matthew 16: 24-27
9 “This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done.
Matthew 6:9-11
10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!
Romans 5: 10
rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!
Philippians 2:7-8
Resources
• Bible
• Video: Be (my heart, my hands, my voice) – Selah: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Tw9oeHWecU
Background Information
In his book, The Great Divorce, C.S. Lewis said “There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, “Thy will be done,” and those to whom God says in the end, “Thy will be done.” When Jesus taught us how we should pray, he also made the key attitude one of submission. He also modeled this submission to the fullest when he submitted himself to the Father’s will and died on the cross for the sins of all who are willing to receive it. There is no love without submission. You cannot say you love someone without submitting yourself to serving them and giving of yourself on their behalf. The greatest love as Jesus reminded us is when we are willing to lay down our lives for others, even an enemy.
This is the kind of love God showed to us. Dying for us on a cross when we were still his enemies and dead in our sins as Romans 5 reminds us. He died for us and wants us to do the same because this is where we find life. Living for ourselves and to fulfill our own desires does not lead to life. Only full surrender to God, His will, His ways and His truth can bring us life because this is what keeps us connected to Him as the source of life. Surrender opens the gate to life and keeps it flowing toward us. Surrender allows us to abide with Christ in deepest intimacy and connection. Anything less is just performance, religion or fire insurance. When you truly love and trust someone, there are no secrets, nothing you are not willing to share, nothing you will hold back, nothing that you won’t give up to be with them or close to them. Who could be more worthy of our full surrender than the God who humbled himself and became obedient to death for our sake, even death on a cross?
So, what about you? Are you holding back on God? Is there an attitude, opinion, feeling, desire, relationship, lifestyle choice, dream, wish or some other area of your life you are not willing to surrender or submit to His will? If you want to be his disciple, he is asking you for the sake of love and your very life to deny yourself; indeed, to die to yourself to follow him. It may take a while for whatever it is to die, but it starts with surrender and a commitment to choose Him over it. You may be surprised at the life you truly find once that decision has been made.
Pray
Jesus, you humbled yourself and became obedient to death for me, how can I hold anything back from you who loved me that much. I admit that I am afraid to give you all of me. There are things that I would rather do my way and beliefs and feelings that are easier to hold onto. But I know you are the source of all life and truth and that nothing will bring life if it is outside of your will. Lord, where I am not willing, make me willing to be made willing. I choose You, I choose life, I choose surrender. In Your name. Amen.
Instructions
1. Watch the video Be (my heart, my hands, my voice) by Selah.
2. Respond to the following questions in order as a Christian Perspective
a. Feelings on how the idea of submitting all of your will, desires and self to God?
b. Beliefs on how God has your best interest in mind in asking you to do this? Why or why not
c. How is the idea of dying to ourselves contrary to what American culture tells us is the key to finding life? Give an example of where the culture’s ideas may sound good but don’t really pay off with the life it promises.
d. Is there an area of your life or beliefs that you don’t want to submit to what you know is true in God’s word the Bible or that you don’t want to believe is true? Surrendering to God’s will doesn’t mean that we will be able to perfectly live up to it, but it does mean we are living in surrender to God and will try, and continue to work toward achieving it with God’s help even if it means suffering. Describe how you might count the cost in this area. How will you seek to understand God’s will more clearly so you can follow it? Who might help you in this process?
