“We are called to surrender day by day, moment by moment. In the moment it feels like death, but it is really the only way to live.”- John Ortberg
“Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer you bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship.”- Romans 12:1 (NIV)
As John Ortberg concludes Chapter 5 of The Me I Want to Be, he emphasizes the continual process of surrender. During Jewish sacrifices, Pastor Ortberg notes, they killed an animal before placing it on the altar to be consumed. In contrast, putting a live animal on the altar and then lighting the fire = failure.
Yet, the author observes, Paul encourages us to make the choice to crawl back onto the altar. Furthermore, John extends this concept to surrender:
“Surrender means that I will seek to handle the problem facing me in a way that honors God. The options that look attractive to me — avoiding, evading, gossiping, blasting — I relinquish to God.”
In conclusion, Pastor Ortberg underscores that the most glorious thing about God consists of His goodness. And one day we’ll all share in that goodness. When Moses encountered God on Mount Sinai, he asked God to show him His glory. As a result, we might expect God to respond with special effects- thunder, lightning, earthquakes, power. Instead, God said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass before you.”- Exodus 33:19
Consequently, the only way to:
- glory comes through humility
- freedom comes through submission
- victory comes through surrender
Today’s question: How, through the power of the Holy Spirit, do you surrender day by day, moment by moment? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “A greater power than simply ‘trying harder’ “
