“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” Romans 12:1
Looking back to our first encounters meeting Jesus, the moments of discovering the Savior who loves us were full of awe. Our hearts came to a place of surrender that said, “Here I am, Jesus. I am yours.” Those few words walked us into a place where we could learn about salvation, and where God was able to make us new creations. Our Savior did for us the things we could not do for ourselves.
The journey with Christ is one that continues to change as we grow spiritually.
Faith is a great teacher, helping us recognize that all things are possible through God.
It may take some convincing during times in our Christian walk to accept the things our Lord can do through us and for us but taking God at His Word will produce greater results in our callings in life.
Once our lives are surrendered to the Lord, we are no longer in control. He is. Understanding this alone needs to encourage us to simply be available for His use. Many human beings come to God in a state of brokenness: Broken hearts, broken lives, broken relationships. Before knowing the Savior that heals us, we all tried to navigate our lives with the limited knowledge that we had, often ending up in turmoil as a result. Coming to Jesus teaches us new ways to think, act, and communicate, changing our lives to something filled with purpose.
If our Savior can change our lives so drastically, He can also use us in ways we never thought possible. Our callings do not rely on talents and skills alone. Fulfilling God’s purpose relies on our true surrender to His will.
God doesn’t need ability. He needs availability. As He did when we first surrendered, He can do through us the things we could not do for ourselves.
Remember the story of the boy whose lunch of five loaves and two fish fed a multitude when what the child had was surrendered to Jesus? (John 6:1-14) He really didn’t have much to offer but he did give all that he had. It resulted in a miracle that touched thousands of people. It also overflowed enough to bless several others. All because a boy made himself available to be used.
The great apostle Paul was first known as the Christian enemy named Saul. He fought heavily against the church and was on his way to execute additional persecution when Jesus struck him with blindness. It was at that point that his conversion began, and he made himself a willing vessel to be used by God. Making himself available to the work of God and not against it caused Paul to become a great apostle who wrote many books of the New Testament in our Bibles. (Acts 9:1-22)
If we have been called by God to become His children, He will take care of us and give us purpose according to His will. He doesn’t need our abilities. He needs our availability. Once surrender is our daily practice, God will take care of the rest and use us for His glory. He has everything in control. Now all He needs is our surrender.
“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21
