8. I Surrender My Will

I surrender my will. What do those words bring to mind? It's something that we don't really like to think about because those words involve the sacrifice of our own personal desires. We don't choose with our minds, although we have to understand. We don't choose with our emotions, though ultimately it helps to want to make the choices. Ultimately we choose with our will. So in order to make the choices according to God's will, we must first surrender our will. Without the surrender of our will, we can never follow God's plan for our lives. Each of these choices has presented a decision between God's will and our own way. The surrender of our will always comes down to saying, "Not my will, Lord, but Yours be done."

This week my service project was playing with children at an apartment complex. I had a good time, but came to the realization that this small apartment complex was all they knew since they had lived there apart from their school. They didn't have a sense of the world outside their apartment complex. In the same way, most of us try to stay isolated from uncomfortable situations by placing our will above God's. This can prove unhealthy for our relationship with God. Like I stated above, we must surrender our will to God, and when that happens, we can have the strength we need to make it through those uncomfortable times, and step out of our "bubble". Here's a verse and some points that can help us live our lives having surrendered our will.

"Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love." - 1 Corinthians 16:13

First Corinthians 16:13 breaks down into four great challenges to help us in living with a surrendered will: "Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong."

1: Be watchful. Pay attention. Take a stand. Don't compromise. Engage. Participate. When he made these challenges, the apostle Paul was wrapping up his first letter to the Corinthian church with what it takes to following Jesus over your lifetime—a long obedience in the same direction.

2: Stand firm in the faith. Be determined. Certain. Resolute in your commitment. There are many ways to fall; one way to stand. Root yourself in Christ.

3: Act like men. The equivalent today might be something like, Don't whine or waver or wallow with excessive emotion. Choose your course and stick to it. Don't let your feelings rule your actions.

4: Be strong. Don't be weak or passive. Engage your will. Step up. Don't be indifferent. There's a lot on the line here. Life is short. Take a stand. Fly the flag. Live for Jesus.