A Summer of Surrender

The last few months have flashed by for me! I have spent my summer in the mountains of Pennsylvania working at Servant's Heart Camp with teens, juniors, and even some senior saints. I enjoyed many beautiful sights and enjoyed the encouragement that my fellow staff gave to me as we grew together.

It was one of the most demanding summers that I have worked in many areas - physically, mentally, and especially spiritually. Despite that, I would not trade this past summer for anything. I have gotten to see God's work more this summer than I have ever seen in my life. I have watched some kids tearfully surrender their lives to Christ, and others call and apologize for hidden sin as God convicted them. I have witnessed proud and rebellious teens change their behavior in such drastic ways that at first seemed impossible. Best of all, I had the privilege of seeing God use me to do His work. There were times that when I saw God's hand, all I wanted to do was jump up and down, run around, scream for joy, sing at the top of my lungs, and tell everyone I knew - all at the same time.

Not only did I see God changing the lives of those around me, but I also saw Him working in my personal life.

Contrary to my beliefs before this summer, spiritual growth isn't about trying the hardest that I can to be the best that I can be.

Rather, it's a complete and total surrender of all that I am.

It's a humbling of the proud heart that I naturally have.

It's a choice to give up the things that I think I deserve.

It's a sacrifice of my flesh to give priority to the Holy Spirit.

It's a deliberate emptying of myself to make room for Christ.

For a long time, I have had a desire to be right. However, try as I might, I always fall short. I had to realize that I am incapable of making myself good. I had to realize that the flesh - my body - is weak.

"For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live."

- Romans 8:13

This became one of the most significant verses in my life this summer. Until I yield myself to Christ, I can't do what is right. My body will always have sinful lusts and desires. I don't have the power to deny that temptation, but Christ does.

How do I know what Christ wants me to do?

Illustration - Bob and Sasha are husband and wife. Their first anniversary is coming up and Bob wants to know what Sasha would want him to do for her on their special day. How would he find out what she wants?

1) He should ask her what she likes.

2) He should learn by watching and paying attention to what she does.

Can Bob do this half-heartedly? Can he ask her what she likes and then ignore her response? Can he learn if he is out pleasing himself all day? The obvious answer to all three of those questions should be a resounding "NO." We can see clearly the importance of the two principles listed above.

Now, take those two principles and apply them to our relationship with Christ. If we want to know Christ's desire for us we need to do two things.

1) Ask Him what He wants us to do through prayer.

2) Watch what Christ did by paying attention to his example.

Can we do this half-heartedly? Can we ask him what he wants for us and then ignore his response? Can we learn if we are out pleasing ourselves all day? Simply put, the answer is "no." You and I need to be praying and asking God for wisdom. Not a half-hearted prayer, but an earnest one. Then, we need to look for His answer by searching His scriptures until He speaks to us (granted, He might not right away, and sometimes it could take years, depending on what we're asking.) Also, you and I cannot pick and choose the answers that we like. When God brings conviction and points to an area in our heart that we need to get taken care of, we MUST do so. God doesn't compromise on sin. If He has shown us what to fix, we need to fix it immediately.

This process of removing the wrong in our life doesn't end after we get something taken care of. After all, is gold purified after removing one impurity?

You and I must continue to:

1. Search for an answer.

2. Study God's word.

3. Surrender to His direction.

Are you surrendered to Christ, or are you blocking out His Spirit's prompting?

This summer, there were times that I didn't feel God working through me. Each time that that was true, I knew that I was ignoring Him and focusing on myself. Are you seeing God work in your personal life? If not, maybe you should take an honest look and yourself this question - "am I seeking to please God or myself?"