“God is
kind, but he’s not soft. In kindness he takes us firmly by the hand and leads
us into a radical life-change.” (Romans 2:4; MSG)
Yesterday, as I was preparing
to write, my hand made a double-click which led down a rabbit hole and a few
clicks later opened a Pandora’s Box of my past. Buried in folders within
folders I came across an old journal of mine. I randomly clicked to a page,
then found it difficult to pull away as I read through the rest, seeing old
details of my life unfold. Wounds, pain and evidence of the mess I was each is
spewed across the pages. It is raw and it was very real for me.
Reading something like that a
few years ago would’ve sent me into a downward spiral. Coming face to face with
such sadness and struggle, I would’ve gone into “I give up” mode because it
would’ve shown me I hadn’t changed and therefore couldn’t change.
But that was before I found the
courage to step into total surrender and willingness, throw my hands up and let
it all go.
Whenever I tried to ‘fix’ my
life by my own plans, I failed. The moment I truly gave it all to God, I found
that success was possible. Now, this didn’t mean I didn’t have to do any work.
Stepping out in faith and saying, “Okay, God, here it is. Your will, not mine,”
does not mean stepping back and waiting for something to happen or waiting for
something to change. Saying yes to God means signing up for radical life change
– and I certainly play a role in making that change.
Working in surrender and trust
yields results. I know I am moving under God’s direction when I receive
affirmation and feel the effects of positive change. When I struggle, it might
be a good time to stop and check in because chances are I’ve started trying to
do things my way again.
Radical life change. It’s a
scary thought. It means doing things sometimes which might make others think
I’m crazy. It means putting God above all else, which might call for difficult
sacrifices. It means possibly not being understood by peers and facing lonely
days which require I cling desperately to faith.
Radical life change. It’s
turning everything in my world topsy-turvy and buckling in for the ride ahead.
Jesus didn’t come just to
forgive us our sins; he came to show us a new way of life, a free life, a
fruitful life, a life of love. By his example we are to live our lives – and
that’s pretty radical.
My prayer today is that I see
where I’ve shied away from some radical changes and let go of my will and also
to bask in gratitude for the radical changes God already effected in me.
Amen! =D
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