Looking Ahead

One morning I got up early, trying to get back into a routine. I passed by the exercise videos to take a walk in the brisk but refreshing 45 degree morning. And what a treat it was! The sky still pitch black, but clear as could be and dotted with hundreds of stars visible to the eye. It was truly wondrous. A sight to behold.

Eventually, though, I drew my eyes away from the early morning sky and focused on getting down to business: making it around the about two mile loop as quickly as possible. Now, one thing was different about this morning. I'd brought a flashlight with me. Not a necessary item in the summer months, but as the days draw shorter and night still has it's hold on my piece of the world I thought it'd be a good idea to help navigate and be seen in the areas without lights.

What I noticed as I walked along, is that I tended to focus on the ground right in front of me, the illuminated ground. Usually, I maintained my gaze up ahead, searching, watching, judging what would come next. And this is what I came up with:

When we rely on ourselves, we spend a lot more effort trying to predict what's ahead. We plan, we conjecture, we strain to see. Now, not that planning's a bad thing - it's necessary for many things. But, God doesn't want us to live in all that hard work of our self-guidance. Instead, He desires we rely completely on Him, only glancing at the path immediately in front of us, which He promises to illuminate.

That's surrender, trusting that God has our best interest at heart and will not lead us astray. Even when times are tough, He will guide and lead us, offering comfort and peace beyond human comprehension. Not having to know the future, not straining to see what He'll have in store for us, but letting go and resting in the confidence that God is our Guide, even to the end. {Psalm 48:14}

Surrender Takes Time

"Surrender takes time."

I read these three precious words a couple years ago in the Bible study Brave, by Angela Thomas.

And boy, have I found that's true. As a matter of fact, I've discovered that since I've proclaimed to surrender everything to God, Satan has launched a full on attack and my flesh has weakly submitted to itself. While my mind says one thing (this is the better thing, the best thing, this is the path that glorifies God, who is holy), my body does the complete opposite.

I've lost count of wasted hours. I've given into unhealthy food, not-so-bad, but not-so good tv shows, playing, resting, wasting. I have not lived surrendered.

There are moments, by the grace of God, there are times I make the right choice. I sit down with His Word, I call out to Him in my need, I get up early and take that walk. But it's not every minute. Or every hour. Or even every day. Even today, I've done both - surrendered to God and surrendered to the flesh.

How comforting and encouraging it is to know that for others, too, surrender to God takes time. It's the next choice I need to focus on. Not the one tomorrow or next week. Not even the one five minutes ago. God is gracious and knows my heart.

Paul said it so well: I don't understand. What I want to do I don't do. What I hate, I do.

Amen, Paul!

In my heart and soul I know the benefits of living for the glory of God, but too long I have fed my flesh in living for it. Did I really think in a day all that would change?

Well, yes. The optimist in me did. But if that were so, I could take credit for it, and in doing so would move away from God, now draw closer to Him.

So, God, please continue to humble me and show me how I truly can do nothing good without You. Fill me with Your Spirit, give me the power to resist sin, and love through me. Help me to surrender to Your will. I love You. Help me to love you more.

Amen.

Battling the Flesh

Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. 
The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Matthew 26:41

At times, it seems like these words written over 2000 years ago were written just for me. Why is it that I so desire to live in God's will and be obedient to Him  I let my flesh rule so often? The answer is found right here: the flesh is weak.

I know I'm not the only one struggling with a weak flesh, evidenced by the conversation I had with a good friend this morning. She shared her own struggles of the flesh.

While it seems like this verse was written just for me, the truth is we all struggle against a weak flesh. What the exact item that trips us up doesn't really matter. 

I've been on a journey to living surrendered for a while now, and I've experienced times of victory and times of defeat. Sometimes those fluctuations are a result of changing circumstances, but more often than not it's when I'm not faithful in my time with the Lord.

There's a reason Jesus told His disciples to engage in the battle of the flesh with prayer. It is the strongest weapon we have against giving into our desires. Prayer engages the Holy Spirit and wells His power within us. Prayer refocuses us on the eternal instead of the temporal. And prayer reminds us to praise God for the things He has given us already instead of the things we want.

Battling the flesh is a day by day, sometimes moment by moment fight. We will never win it on our own, but already have victory in our Savior. To live in that victory we have to be willing to fight. To ignore the flesh. To redirect it. To beat it into submission.

Paul talks about this in 1 Corinthians 9:27 - But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

We've been convinced that depriving ourselves of something is bad. That hard work is bad. That discipline is a negative thing. But biblically, these are all to our benefit.

Yet, even though I know this, my flesh tells me the opposite. For for this decision, this day, I will double down in prayer and seek God for His strength to build up self-control in me to I can resist the flesh. It won't be easy. There may even be tears. But, when I have victory, oh how sweet it will be! Won't you join me?