The Journey of Surrender: Finding Your Purpose in God's Plan
We all come into this world with a gaping hole in our hearts. It's a void that nothing on earth can truly fill - not wealth, success, relationships, or achievements. This emptiness is actually by design. As it says in Ecclesiastes 3:11, God has "planted eternity in the human heart." We're born with a sense of divine purpose and a mysterious longing that only He can satisfy.
But how do we get from that innate emptiness to a place of fulfillment and purpose? The answer lies in a journey of surrender - a concept that goes against everything the world teaches us.
From childhood, we're told to never give up, never surrender, and never be a quitter. We're coached to win at all costs. Yet, when it comes to our spiritual lives, surrender is the very key that unlocks the door to God's purpose for us.
The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in this journey. He convicts us of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8). He creates in us a hunger for truth and a desire to fill that God-shaped void in our hearts. But it's up to us to respond to His prompting.
Many of us, however, avoid dealing with these deep spiritual questions. We get busy with life, bury our heads in work, or mask our emptiness with various distractions. We tell ourselves, "Someday I'll get right with God," but we keep kicking that can down the road.
The problem is, someday always catches up with us. Whether it's through a crisis, a brush with death, or simply the weight of our own emptiness, we eventually come face to face with the big questions: What's my purpose? What happens when I die? What must I do to be saved ... SAFE?!
Jesus addressed this very question in His encounter with the rich young ruler (Mark 10:17-27). When asked what he must do to inherit eternal life, Jesus ultimately told him to sell all his possessions, give to the poor, and follow Him. This wasn't about literal poverty, but about surrendering the things we cling to for security and identity.
The young man went away sad, unable to let go. Jesus then said to His disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!" When they were astonished, He added, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."
This brings us to the crux of the matter: What must we do to be saved? The answer echoes throughout Scripture:
1. At Pentecost, when the crowd asked Peter this question, he replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:38)
2. When the Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas the same question, they answered, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household." (Acts 16:31)
The common thread is surrender - changing our minds (repenting), believing in Jesus, and entrusting our lives to Him. It's about realizing that our own efforts can never bridge the gap between us and God. Only through faith in Christ can we be made right with Him.
This journey of surrender involves several key steps:
1. Hear the truth: We must be open to hearing and experiencing God's truth, primarily through His Word. Faith comes by hearing the message of Christ (Romans 10:17).
2. Be desperate: Often, it's only when we come to the end of ourselves that we're truly ready to surrender to God. This desperation can come through circumstances or simply a deep realization of our need for something more.
3. Confess: This means agreeing with God about our condition. It's admitting that we've fallen short and need His forgiveness and leadership in our lives.
4. Believe: Put your trust fully in Jesus Christ for salvation. This isn't just an intellectual knowing, but a wholehearted commitment to Him as Lord.
5. Receive: Accept the gift of salvation and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Allow Him to begin transforming you from the inside out.
As we embark on this journey of surrender, we begin to experience the peace, purpose, and power that only come from a life yielded to God. We discover that what we give up pales in comparison to what we gain in Christ.
Remember, you don't have to have all the answers. Start by being open to the truth. Read the Bible with an open mind. Seek answers to your questions. And most importantly, pay attention to that God-shaped void in your heart. It's there for a reason, pointing you to the only One who can truly fill it.
In a world that tells us to never give up, perhaps the bravest thing we can do is surrender - not to defeat, but to the God who loves us and has a purpose for our lives beyond anything we could imagine. It's in that surrender that we find true victory, purpose, and the fulfillment of our deepest longings.
We all come into this world with a gaping hole in our hearts. It's a void that nothing on earth can truly fill - not wealth, success, relationships, or achievements. This emptiness is actually by design. As it says in Ecclesiastes 3:11, God has "planted eternity in the human heart." We're born with a sense of divine purpose and a mysterious longing that only He can satisfy.
But how do we get from that innate emptiness to a place of fulfillment and purpose? The answer lies in a journey of surrender - a concept that goes against everything the world teaches us.
From childhood, we're told to never give up, never surrender, and never be a quitter. We're coached to win at all costs. Yet, when it comes to our spiritual lives, surrender is the very key that unlocks the door to God's purpose for us.
The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in this journey. He convicts us of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8). He creates in us a hunger for truth and a desire to fill that God-shaped void in our hearts. But it's up to us to respond to His prompting.
Many of us, however, avoid dealing with these deep spiritual questions. We get busy with life, bury our heads in work, or mask our emptiness with various distractions. We tell ourselves, "Someday I'll get right with God," but we keep kicking that can down the road.
The problem is, someday always catches up with us. Whether it's through a crisis, a brush with death, or simply the weight of our own emptiness, we eventually come face to face with the big questions: What's my purpose? What happens when I die? What must I do to be saved ... SAFE?!
Jesus addressed this very question in His encounter with the rich young ruler (Mark 10:17-27). When asked what he must do to inherit eternal life, Jesus ultimately told him to sell all his possessions, give to the poor, and follow Him. This wasn't about literal poverty, but about surrendering the things we cling to for security and identity.
The young man went away sad, unable to let go. Jesus then said to His disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!" When they were astonished, He added, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."
This brings us to the crux of the matter: What must we do to be saved? The answer echoes throughout Scripture:
1. At Pentecost, when the crowd asked Peter this question, he replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:38)
2. When the Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas the same question, they answered, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household." (Acts 16:31)
The common thread is surrender - changing our minds (repenting), believing in Jesus, and entrusting our lives to Him. It's about realizing that our own efforts can never bridge the gap between us and God. Only through faith in Christ can we be made right with Him.
This journey of surrender involves several key steps:
1. Hear the truth: We must be open to hearing and experiencing God's truth, primarily through His Word. Faith comes by hearing the message of Christ (Romans 10:17).
2. Be desperate: Often, it's only when we come to the end of ourselves that we're truly ready to surrender to God. This desperation can come through circumstances or simply a deep realization of our need for something more.
3. Confess: This means agreeing with God about our condition. It's admitting that we've fallen short and need His forgiveness and leadership in our lives.
4. Believe: Put your trust fully in Jesus Christ for salvation. This isn't just an intellectual knowing, but a wholehearted commitment to Him as Lord.
5. Receive: Accept the gift of salvation and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Allow Him to begin transforming you from the inside out.
As we embark on this journey of surrender, we begin to experience the peace, purpose, and power that only come from a life yielded to God. We discover that what we give up pales in comparison to what we gain in Christ.
Remember, you don't have to have all the answers. Start by being open to the truth. Read the Bible with an open mind. Seek answers to your questions. And most importantly, pay attention to that God-shaped void in your heart. It's there for a reason, pointing you to the only One who can truly fill it.
In a world that tells us to never give up, perhaps the bravest thing we can do is surrender - not to defeat, but to the God who loves us and has a purpose for our lives beyond anything we could imagine. It's in that surrender that we find true victory, purpose, and the fulfillment of our deepest longings.
Posted in Surrender, Faith , Grace Over Works, Love In Action
Posted in grace, faith, faithinaction, surrender
Posted in grace, faith, faithinaction, surrender
HOPE Blog ... Pastor Bob DeFelice
Sometimes random - sometimes not - some things I think - measured against scripture.
"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
~ 2 Timothy 2:15
"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
~ 2 Timothy 2:15
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