Rooted in Surrender - Day 2
OPENING PRAYER:
Father, show me my true heart today. Reveal to me where I stand in relation to you.
READ:
“But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” Philippians 3:7-12 (NIV)
REFLECT:
The example that Jesus set for us in surrender is important because it directly points us back to God. Christ’s willingness to throw his body and spirit in between us and death is overwhelmingly humble and beautiful.
Just as Jesus gave all, our full surrender calls for sacrifice and, often, things that make us uncomfortable. He asks us to step out in faith and fully surrender, trusting his faithfulness and love to guide our steps and lead us to a life that honors his sacrifice well.
APPLY:
As we step out in faith to honor Jesus’ sacrifice, we cannot separate what he was willing to do from what he asks of us. Are we willing to put all that we have on the line for the glory of God and his creation? Are we willing to step down from the thrones that we find ourselves on (seats of power, privilege, and influence)? Are we willing to give what we have so that others might gain victory over what threatens them?
CLOSING PRAYER:
God, thank you for opening my heart to what you have to teach me. Help me to focus on honoring you and your son’s sacrifice in the way that I encounter your creation today.
WORSHIP: