Never Surrender- Never Give Up!?

I hate even the thought of surrender.

"Not My will but Thy will be done" - Jesus As a man full of pride- As a coach- A leader of young men- for so many years I have continually preached the idea of no surrender- Never give up the fight- Never lay down! Stay in the fight! Surrender is totally against my nature. Giving up has no place in my life.

But like so many other good things

The Enemy has twisted this and used it against me.

Surrendering my way to God's way is not the same as giving up.

Instead, surrender is about embracing with all that is in me something new. Surrendering to Christ is joining a new fight. Trusting God is entering a new arena. Surrender does not equal resignation. Maybe it is more about joining the fight in a new way- from a new perspective.

Surrendering my will- my attempts to find life on my own terms- Does not equal failure.

The accuser has brought that against me so many times. Oh Charles you might as well give up- things will never get any better.- You are such a failure.

Surrender to Christ does not steal hope, but redirects hope.

I finish where I started- Not my will but Thy will be done. Jesus' surrender to the Father's Way of the cross- to the Father's will- was a Glorious thing. There was such power in it. His Trusting the Father's Heart for Him- to the point of death- has accomplished Life- The Life we were made for.

Father God, move in me today- take these thoughts from my head and seal them to my heart. From my heart give me courage to surrender my will to Your Will. Empower me to join the fight in this new way. Amen