What is the true gradient of your life surrender to God?  Certainly, we sing it on Sundays, in those moments when we feel close to him in worship, but somehow as we return to our lives in this world we take back portions reserved for our sole control.  If he commanded you to go to Ethiopia in three months to teach, preach and protect a small pocket of believers would you answer that call?  And to that end do you even have a passport to place yourself in the reservoir of believers who could respond to a call from God?

I do not know what he is going to ask of each of us, but I do know that we are each have a purpose for the kingdom.  I do not wish to be sarcastic, because I know how important and difficult this calling and the requisite response must be.  However, we cannot truly believe in God, state that we are governed by his will over our own and then go on our own merry way never expecting that our Master will give us commands.  Or worse yet, declare our “complete/utter” surrender to his will and then make our own plans for work, living, recreation and investment.  To do so is indicative of a unrefined belief or disbelief in our verdant declaration.

Belief causes willingness to respond through obedience, cognizant that obedience is the only true measure of our faith and love for God.  I have heard many pastors preach on this yet I see little reaction from the visiting body.  Why is that?  Our faith is so weak that we mis-comprehend that our lack of obedience to the pastor is symbolic of our true disobedience to Christ.  In real life, just as in the Bible, the Lord provides real world examples and characters that living out the successes and mistakes for our edification. Our unwillingness to listen, absorb, reflect and correct our obedience within our relationship to the pastor is one of those lessons sent for our clarity and understanding of how our behavior is viewed by God.

Your purpose is so important I am stopping for a moment to pray that you have clarity, understanding and surrendered-preparedness and response to His call upon your life. Especially, in reflection to our having to surrender our own dreams for this life in order to complete the work God has appointed us.  It ain’t an easy thing to give your life to Christ, but is the best thing that any of can ever do.  It ain’t simple to truly accept God’s will for our existence, surrendering our own ideas, ambitions and intentions for something greater than self-service.  Let me refine that statement from it ain’t easy to it’s humanly impossible to do without the presence and the filling of the Holy Spirit of God. We have become a new creature, transformed by a renewing of our minds.  What does that mean if not for being born again to be someone different, living by a different code of standards than our previous life.  Let me be blunt, if you accepted Christ and you stayed the same, then you ought to be concerned about your salvation.  Because when your cup is emptied and filled again with His Spirit it becomes impossible to remain where you began.  Pray, prepare and persevere being of good courage throughout God’s Path for your life.  Obedience is all God asks for, giving it is demonstrative of your love, faith and respect for Him.

Ephesians 6:18-20

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.