I believe that surrender takes shape in several different ways. One thing is sure, if you follow Jesus long enough, God will ultimately call you to surrender through giving. Giving is not just something God does; it is a part of His character. Giving(generous) is who He is. By responding to God’s prompts to give, we show God we trust Him and want to be more like Him. As we begin seeing the world through God’s lens of generosity, we will discover opportunities to give our time, talent, and resources.
Time
Time is our most valuable resource. It is limited, and we cannot create more of it. Once it is given away, it is gone forever. This is perhaps one of the areas which we tend to mismanage the most. We try to save it all up for ourselves only to spend it on all the wrong things. We realize its importance, yet we continually neglect properly stewarding our time. If we are willing to listen, God will call us to give our time to the Church and others. How we spend our time is often a good reflection of where our heart is at. Do we look for opportunities to share our time, or do we hoard it all only to spend it on endless Netflix binges?
“Because you trusted me, I will give you your life as a reward. I will rescue you and keep you safe. I, the Lord, have spoken!” Jeremiah 39:18 NLT
Talent
Talent is often closely linked with our time. So when we give up our time, we often utilize our talent. Our talent is an area we cannot claim credit for, but it often fills us with a deep sense of pride. It is as if we are saying we had something to do with forming it. Giving of our talent is a form of gratitude that sets us up with a proper Kingdom view. If we are not using our talent to serve in God’s Kingdom, then a need is going unmet. Find a place in God’s Kingdom to offer your talent, and plugin. You’ll never be the same again.
“If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.” Mark 8:35 NLT
Resources
When many think about resources, their minds immediately think about money, but this is not always true. Certainly, resources can be things one owns, such as a house, financial investments such as stock, or a 401K. But sometimes, a resource can be a relationship or a connection. Sometimes resources might be an old car you are no longer using. Resources can vary from person to person, but one thing is sure. If you are open to hearing God’s voice, He will call you to use your resources to meet the need of someone in your path.
Using the resources God has entrusted to you is one way of surrendering your will to God’s will.
Don’t Miss Out!
While these areas are just some of the many ways God might call one to give, this is where it starts. Ultimately, we choose who we will follow and serve, ourselves or God. In choosing to follow Jesus, we can enter into a rich and full life He died to offer us as his children. So no more FOMO(Fear of Missing Out). Seek God’s guidance. And when the Holy Spirit prompts you to give instead of responding with “say what?” step into the abundant life waiting for you.
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*Photo by Bernard Hermant on Unsplash
