Oh my God! You really bless this kid.
Isn't it wonderful? Wish I could play like that. *positively envy*
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Day 10: The heart of worship
The heart of worship is surrender
Rick Warren - The Purpose Driven Life
Well, there are always people like me, who treat this word "surrender" as something unpleasant. Often it is referred as defeat, losing, bow down to stronger opponent, forfeiting a game and so on. No one wants to be a loser. We all want to win, win and win!
However, surrendering yourself to God is the heart of worship. It is our natural response t0 G0d's amazing love and mercy. And we surrender to Him, not because of fear nor duty, but it's all because of love. A love that we give, to whom who loved us at the very first. True worship is only when you offer yourself completely to God.
Offering yourself to God is what worship is all about.
Rick Warren - The Purpose Driven Life
Surrendering yourself can be a lot of ways, yet most of us fail to do so, and the reasons are mostly because of these 3 words - fear, pride, and confusion.
Can I trust God? A good question. And the author managed to bring out a good "chain-reaction":
You won't surrender to God unless you trust Him, but you can't trust Him if you do not know Him better.
Rick Warren - The Purpose Driven Life
And why there are lots of time that we fail to know Him better? It's all because of fear. Fear as in we don't understand how much God loves us. There are many evidences in the Bible telling us how much our God loves us. He loves us infinitely more than we can ever imagine.
God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Roman 5:9
If we completely surrender ourselves to Jesus, we'll know that He is nowhere to be bad; He is our savior, our brother, our friend. Surrendering ourselves to God. Can you do that?
Admitting our limitations. And this comes with the pride and ego that we have in ourselves. A lot of us always think that we can control things around us, not realizing that actually the one who controls you is God. We unable and will not able to control everything. If God one day totally "turn off" me, surely I can control nothing, not even my breath. Yet, people fail to understand that the one who in-charge of everything is God. They try to take over God's control and bring much stress into their own lives. Or worse, they even screw up their current life. We are not God and will never be. Chasing after the goal to be God will end us up to be like Satan.
We accept humanity intellectually, but not emotionally. Often we react to limitations with anger, irritation and resentment. We want to be like this and that. We want to have it all. We want to able to do it all. And we are annoyed when things do not happen so. When seeing other people having talents and gifts that you don't have, you feel envy, jealous, and self-pity * I do not really go and jealous of the kid ok, I admire him =) *
What it means to surrender. And yes, a lot of people confused with this word. What does it really mean by "surrender"? It does not mean giving up your rational thinking - God does not want a robot to serve Him. It does not mean repressing your personality - God created you with unique personality; He wants you to use it.
How to surrender? The best way to surrender is to be obedient. How many times have you been obedient to God? Remember the story of fishing in the book of Luke? Although he had failed fishing, but when Jesus asked him to do so, he surrendered to Him.
Master, we've worked all night and we haven't caught anything. But because you said so, I will let down the nets.
Luke 5:5
And they were surprised by the amount of fish that they caught.
Surrendered people obey God's word, even if it does not make sense.
Rick Warren - The Purpose Driven Life
Surrendering to God also means that you rely on God to work things out instead of trying to manipulate it yourself. In other word, it means trust. I remembered Joash said last time, you can always choose to grip on something, or to let go and let God.
Instead of trying harder, you trust more.
Rick Warren - The Purpose Driven Life
Trust, just trust in Him. =)
Often people unable to surrender regarding money. And I think, it's not just money at all, but it also applies to other areas. But Jesus said it very clearly:
No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
Matthew 6:24
Best example of self-surrendering is the night before Jesus was crucified. He himself know the hard and the pain of the crucifixion.
"Abba, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."
Mark 14:36
Notice the important key point here? Jesus ask if God will take the pain from him. But the will of God is more important than his own. Your will to be done. Let God's will be done, even if we have to go through pains and sorrows and sickness or any other circumstances, by completely surrender to him. However, all of us know that to surrender completely is a hard work. It is, in most people case, a self-conflict against your self-centered nature.
The blessing of surrender. There are a lot of benefits for surrendering yourself to God:
1. Peace.
Submit to God and be at peace with him;
in this way prosperity will come to you.
Job 22:21
2. Freedom.
You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
Romans 6:18
3. God's power. Only by surrendering yourself for Him you will be witness of His power. And yes, my surrender to God during MGSS Badminton Competition would be a perfect testimony to fit in. Even during the most impossible, challenged time, just surrender yourself to God, and watch Him do the miracle for you. For my case, watch Him win the gold medal for me =) A interesting but true phrase:
Victory comes through surrender. Surrender doesn't weaken you; it strengthens you.
Rick Warren - The Purpose Driven Life
The best way to live. Everyone will tend to surrender himself/herself to something/someone. If it is not God, then it might be idols, money, resentment etc.
If you don't surrender to Christ, you surrender to chaos.
E. Stanley Jones
Thus, surrender is not the perfect way to live; it is the only way. Nothing else works. Remember the song "One Way"?
One way, Jesus,
You're the only one that I could live for.
I think, it is to be linked together with surrendering. We surrender ourselves to Him, and live for Him. Surrendering yourself is not a sudden strike of emotional impulse; it is a rational and conscious decision.
So we make it our goal to please him, whether we're at home in the body or away from it.
2. Corinthians 5:9
Sometimes, the greatest hindrance to God's blessing in your life is not others, but yourself - your self-will, stubborn pride, and personal ambition. No one can focus on two different points. You can't focus both God's will and your own will.
Take take take it all, take take take it all! Surrender all of your past regrets, guilt, present problems, difficulties, future ambition, dreams... everything, if you want God to do his deepest work in you. Invite Jesus into your "house" and let him be the master and leader of your "house". Invite Him to be your shepherd. Invite Him to take the driver's seat and let go your grip on the steering wheel. Let Him drive for you. There is nothing that is out of His plan - Remember this, always.
Jesus said:
"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."
Luke 9:23
It sounds like a great challenge to deny yourself, no? And the truth is, when you decided to live a totally surrendered life, the decision that you make will be tested. I just want to encourage everyone of you, to be brave to make this decision. Say it out loud, "I want to live a totally surrendered life!"
In my past entry I've made a "contract" with God, that I want to be a servant of Christ. Are you still struggling with things that hold you back from fully surrender to Him? Think about it, my friends, and make the decision - To surrender yourself to God's grace, love and wisdom.
Vincent
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