Surrender

I have learnt a lot over the past few days. I mean I have had my life turned upside down and inside out. Its like this time of trial is over and I am on the way back to being who God intended me to be. So to be honest, the trick is surrender. Like you probably already know this, you have probably heard it and sung it at least a thousand time before. What it is though is complete submission, complete giving up of self. I hear you say ‘Dave, I already do that’. Lies! Complete Submission? Ok so I accept a few people reading this actually understand this, so you guys can skip to the next part.

I know your a bit skeptical about what I’m saying, but it all about that, marrying God. To be in close union with Him. I recently changed my facebook status from single to married and you can guess what response I got, the comments are still coming. I laugh at facebook and it’s labels and I chuckle at people’s comments. Some folks even came on to chat with me totally concerned, wondering what I had done or asking what I was going on about.

There were also, however, the select few who understood. These are the ones who understand that surrender that God and them are supposed to be in union, one in spirit. A wedding of souls, were there is complete submission and unconditional love. These are the people who realise that they have been called and count it a privilege to be part of the great plan. These are people so in love, that they willing to sacrifice all they have and want and are just so they can be in God (see later). These are the people who have skipped this part.

My facebook Marriage

Desire

Welcome back to those that left, don’t worry you didn’t really miss anything. If you actually are worried that you did, then go back and read it. Go on its ok, I allow you.

So as I said earlier

“These are people so in love, that they willing to sacrifice all they have and want and are just so they can be in God”

I have a little twist on this, so stick with me until I get to the end. We need to be willing to sacrifice all, but God allows us to desire and will give us our desires. See to some people this is a bit weird, God allowing us to have our desires seems a totally messed up concept.

I remember sitting down one Sunday night back in the great country of Northern Ireland. It was dinner time and my mother had decided that we use the ‘good room’ and be all together as a family. I can’t exactly remember what was laid in front of us that night, but I know it was delicious, she has to be the best cook I know. Even now I desire a tasty Sunday dinner, one that she has worked hours on, to get it just right and to the exact taste. Why? Because she loves her family and she wants to do the best for them, and by making the Sunday dinner, with mashed potatoes, gravy, vegetables and a delicious meat, she is showing her love for her family, and actually showing her love for God. Mmm, I’m hungry now.

Ok, so after that dinner, I started a discussion with my wonderful father about a very similar topic. Let me say now, what I thought then was still a little rough around the edges, so feel free to shape it and fire me your comments below or let me hear you some other way.

So I had said that what he called ‘saved’ was a two part process. The first part being shifting our vision from everything else onto God and finding Him, and be in complete submission to Him. I used my hands a lot in this discussion, so I guess I have to draw it out.

Here’s the process

And here is the final image

Our channel of desires

I find it easier to explain now. When we focus on the things that are not God then our desires lie in completely the wrong place. We desire things like success, money, lust and popularity. Like I said we shift our focus, from not God, to completely God (part1) and then our desires become in God (part 2), we desire things that glorify God. For some reason my father couldn’t get this (or maybe he did and was forcing me to think it through). God sets us free, gives us the freedom to desire. In the other way we chased our desires and not God and that’s what people get stuck on. It’s a changing of perspective, a complete paradigm shift to a different understanding.

When we are in God’s channel, our desires are fine.

Psalm 37.4 says

“Delight yourself in the LORD
and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

Does this make sense yet? Are you starting to understand what this ‘Jesus Christ Pose’ is all about?

I think I will leave it here for today, I have more to say on the subject, but I will let this sit for a while and see what happens.

As for me I am great, God is great, things are just fine. I wish you could feel how I have been feeling since last Thursday.

Peace