Whatever it Takes to Surrender

"There is a cost to surrendering to God - to saying yes unequivocally with no reservations, no strings attached, no escape clauses. Being willing to say, "Whatever it takes" - and mean it - is dangerous. At the very least, surrendering yourself to "whatever it takes" mean dying to self and selfish ambition, and at the most extreme, it may mean giving up your very life. For most of us, dying for Jesus' sake is not something we will be asked to do, but in the deepest places in our souls, we must come to the place where we are willing to die if it serves God's purposes.

We are such wimps - really, we are. Living in a sophisticated developed country where life is full of comfort and conveniences has weakened our character and our resolve. We often look for the easy way out of challenging situations and even pride ourselves on doing the minimum required - just enough to get by. Discipline, sacrifice, cost - these are not popular concepts.

When was the last time you read a magazine article on how to grow in self-sacrifice? About the only time we're willing to be self-disciplined or sacrificial or to pay a price is when it has a personal benefit to ourselves - when it helps us achieve a goal that matters to us. We keep hoping we can get something for nothing. We cling to the fantasy that following Jesus won't cost us anything ... which is just not so!"
--Kay Warren, Dangerous Surrender