Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” —Matthew 16:24
Having surrendered our lives to Christ as Savior and Lord, we must learn what it means to live out a surrendered life—to continually say “no” to self and “yes” to God.
Many Christians live perpetually discouraged lives because they’ve never realized and are not living out the implications of their initial surrender to Christ. Having once surrendered control of their lives to Christ, they have reverted to trying to manage their own lives. As a result, they’re living out of alignment with the Lord who created, redeemed, and owns them.
It may be that even at this moment you are living in a chapter called “Unsurrendered.”
Could it be that there are some issues on which you are reserving the right to control your own life?
For example, though you may have surrendered your life to God, do you realize that your money belongs to God too? And your kids? And your time? All of these are the practical outworking of a surrendered life.
Make it Personal
Ask God to show you if there are any areas of your life that you have not surrendered to Him.