She's Kissed by Fire

“For if you want to save your own life, you will lose it; but if you lose your life for my sake, you will find it.” — Matthew 16:25

In the world we live in, we often hear about surrender and how it is probably one of the most important concepts in our personal faith.

We often believe and are convinced that once we are saved, we have fully surrendered and given all to Christ.

But little do we know, that being born again is a journey and not a one-time thing.

And sometimes, what we thought was a full surrender is just a partial moment in our lives.

Some people would argue that to fully surrender is to come to the end of yourself — when you lay down everything to God. Others, would say that full surrender is a lifestyle, it is a deliberate day-to-day choice to choose the ways of God even if we don’t understand them yet.

I believe both are equally important to fully live the life God has for us.

Most of us, if not all, wait for that rock-bottom moment to fully surrender and this is where the vindication of God works best.

It is normal for us to have a sense of control over our lives. After all, who doesn’t want to have a happy and problem-free life. But God says otherwise in Matthew 16:24 — “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me“.

I’ve tried to understand how deny and surrender support each other in this context. Then I stumbled upon Galatians 2:20 — “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” In this text, it was as clear as day what God meant with both acts.

But how do we make sure we are really fully submitted?

In my personal experience, here are practical ways which have helped me be secured in the path God has for me…

1. Be okay with not being okay
   • What do I mean by this? This is full acceptance of our situation. That we are broken and lost beings in need of a savior. Jesus invites us to “come as we are” to him. We don’t need to do a lot but to just strip ourselves bare, bring our mess and be honest with what we really feel and think.
2. Seek elderly advice /pastoral care/ deliverance
   • I know this is a very sensitive and uncomfortable concept for some and not all are ready to be rebuked and corrected. But if you are at the end of yourself and when all cards are laid down, we lose being conscious of what others think of us and are only concerned of being set free from what holds us down.
3. Seek God for guidance
   • I strongly believe that this should come after the deliverance part because if we are carrying spirits and strongholds which we are not set free from, we can distort the leading God is giving to us. Sometimes, we need to also consider the timing of the leading. But the only way we can know what God truly wants is constant communication with Him. As mentioned in Psalm 119:105, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
4. Trust God where he leads you
   • Oftentimes, the path which the Lord takes us is not the most convenient one. We all know this. But if we choose this, even if it doesn’t make sense, we will not only make Him pleased with us, but we will be able to experience the “full life” in Psalm 16:11 — “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore“. This is also the reason why we are set apart from the world. By doing the uinconventional, we also open the opportunities and abundant life he has for the ones who love Him. Proverbs 3:5-6 says “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.“
5. Do not forget all his benefits and always abide in Him
   • As we take that unconventional route, we have to ground and remind ourselves with the written Word. Meditate on His promises, day and night, so we do not get weary from doing the right thing in our spiritual journey. Aside from knowing the verses, be ready to apply them in your life. It is one thing to know and another thing to “walk the talk”.

And above all, let’s wait patiently on God to move on our behalf. A lot of us Christians tend to fall back to insisting our own ways and our own timing. But we have to remind ourselves, everything we desire that is good, pleasing and perfect and is aligned to God’s character is already done.

We just have to let life unfold it for us and there’s no better way to do that but to trust God in full surrender. <3