"SAVED vs SURRENDERED"

"SAVED vs SURRENDERED"

There IS a difference!

"To surrender from worldly perspective seems like weakness; but in our relationship with God it is the strongest thing we will ever do" - Dena C.

My mind reels and so another blog.....

I've been on this spiritual journey for a good minute now. And I have to say, there is one most amazing revelation I've received and to this day I am most thankful for in my Christian walk. It was the awakening in my spirit to the truth that there IS a big difference in being "saved" and being "surrendered".

I spent many years as a non-surrendered "Christian". I'd said my salvation prayer. I had my "ticket to heaven" so to speak. But for the life of me could not understand that if this whole Christian walk is SO great and this Jesus character is SO good and loves me SO much....WHY am I still struggling, still hurting, still broken, still in chains?? I went on for years as what I call a "clueless Christian". Yes, I was a believer. Yes I was redeemed. But I had no real clue WHO my redeemer really was. Or the depth of what being redeemed really meant! I knew I believed in Him, because something just felt different. But I knew nothing about the character of Christ, His story or how deeply He loved me. This was IMPORTANT information after all! 

In the many years to follow, I set out to really go deeper and learn just who exactly this Jesus, this Savior was. Not just based on what the pastors said at the pulpit on Sundays said, or my mother's version, or the opinions of other believers (which are ALL valuable), but I realized....I needed to know what JESUS wanted to say to ME about WHO He is and who I am IN Him. This took time, fellowship with other believers, prayer, groups, more church, cleaning out skeletons and more! The process of seeking Him, leads to HEALING, and eventually brings you to total surrender! The more I learned of who He is, and how very much He loves me; I wanted MORE! I learned that He has plans for me....GOOD plans. Not the struggling plans I'd been wading through on my own and trying to fix on my own! But, I also learned very quickly that in order to live this abundant life, to walk in ALL that He has for me, I would have to not only believe in Him, but totally and completely SURRENDER to Him and His will for my life. Jeremiah 29:11 says "For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future". That is God's word, God's promise, for US!

I think so many of us just don't quite get it or understand what that looks like to be completely surrendered. We are taught by our culture to "look out for number one", "trust no one" and "get yours"! It's hard to surrender to something or someone you don't trust. Well, I can tell you that the more you get to know WHO He is and HOW He is......the more you'll trust Him. Think about a roller coaster for example. (I use them because I LOVE them!!) If I'm at a theme park and there's a new ride that has NO harness to protect me, I'm not going to trust it! Even though the ride attendant assures me it's safe, the latest and greatest new ride. I don't know this ride, it sounds scary and it's unfamiliar. I don't know if I can trust it, so no way will I get on it! But I see the other ride that I've rode on many times, it has a harness,(while quite confining) something that I know will make me feel safe, I'm going to jump right on! Even IF I'm still a bit nervous. I know there's a thrill attached to it and it's certainly safer than the "other" option right??? Much like my Christian walk, I believed in Jesus with all my heart....just like I'd believe that unharnessed new roller coaster is right before my eyes. But I didn't trust that coaster with my life, no more than I truly trusted Jesus for far to much of my Christian walk. So I stayed on that same ride through life. 

I couldn't see any protection on that new coaster. It was unfamiliar to me, intimidating, scary even. Much like a Jesus we don't choose to get to KNOW. He can be unfamiliar, intimidating, scary even. So we stay on that familiar ride, the one we've been riding our whole lives. The one we thing WE can control. We have a thrill here and there, but the ride always ends and the thrill is always short lived. 

The thing with surrender is, once you've gotten to KNOW Jesus. Really, really, intimately know Him; you begin to trust Him, you learn that His ways are always better than ours and you can't help but WANT to surrender to Him and His will for your life. Because it's better, it's safer, it has greater thrills and the BEST part is the thrills never end!

Being saved is AWESOME! And we should want that not only for ourselves but for everyone. It secures us eternity in Heaven with our heavenly Father when we die. No more suffering, no more struggle, no more pain. 

But being surrendered is PRICELESS! You see, while being saved is oh so awesome for your eternity; surrender is oh so priceless for your present! Our God is loving God and He doesn't want us to WAIT until we get to heaven to finally be free of pain, struggle, hurts, suffering.....NO! He wants us to live FREE and WHOLE right NOW! Just being "saved" won't get you that. But being "surrendered" most certainly will! John 10:10 tells us: "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." You see, the Lord died on that cross so that we could live life to the fullest, not just after we die but right now; for His glory and our joy!

I won't even pretend to tell you that this surrender concept is easy....but I can promise you it's worth it. Is my life without trials and struggles? Absolutely not! But is my life FULL of peace and joy during those trials and struggles? Yes! You can bet all you have on it! Now that I've lived on both sides; the "saved" side and the "surrendered" side; I just can't imagine my life any other way than surrendered to Jesus Christ! 

How do we know what surrender looks like? Ask yourself some real basic questions. The answers will get you off to a great start to knowing how well you really know your Savior and how much you trust Him. Depending on the answers, you may find you need to spend more time in His word, in worship and getting to know Him. Or you may find you know Him very well and even trust Him, but the sin of pride is dominating where the Lord should be.

Ask yourself: "When bad news comes my way, when a car cuts me off in traffic, when I find out someone got the promotion I wanted, when I have broken relationships in my family, when I'm sinning and just can't seem to stop, when I'm broke and don't know how I'll make it to next payday, when I pray and God doesn't seem to answer.....and so on....HOW do I respond? 

If peace, love, joy and a sound mind are not in the answer...then that could most certainly be a sign of a lack of surrender. 

I spent far to much of my life trusting in my own abilities or the empty promises of others to be my answer for life's issues. It was only when I understood who my Lord was and what total surrender looked like that I became free! I have no exclusive patent on this freedom....it's available to us all!!

I don't know who may read this. Nor do I know where you may be in your walk. But I do know that if you're reading this....it's for a reason. HIS reason, not mine. This simple little blog of my random thoughts/feelings will not answer this issue of "saved or surrendered" for you. But I do pray that it will get you thinking, searching, self reflecting so that the Lord can move in your heart to bring you into the abundant life He has waiting for you NOW. 

SAVED is great, but SURRENDERED is priceless! 

God bless you in your journey & seeking.....He will be there to find! 

Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding, In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight."

Lord I never again want to lean on my own understanding....I trust in YOU!

D.