18 September 2008

Letting Go So God Can Take Over

I have a friend that I have not seen since Justin was a baby, maybe even longer ago... I can't remember. Actually, I think maybe it was around my birthday when I was pregnant with Justin. Anyway, this friend recently got in touch with me via the internet and has started to read my blog.

Although she grew up "in the church", she has not yet received Christ.... but boy is the Lord chasing after her!

She asked me, "How are you able to let go and let God take over?"

I tried to answer as best I could, but as I am sure many of you would agree, this is not an easy question to answer. I have seen friends who have been believers for decades still struggle with this. I even wrote an entry in July about how hard it can be to let go and surrender to God.

SO that got me thinking. If it is hard for us as believers to do it, knowing what we know and having experienced the amazing power of God in our lives.... than how much harder (and scarier) is it for someone who is still seeking?

I read the words my friend has written to me, and it amazes me the knowledge she has already soaked in. She has a lot of head knowledge (as I like to call it) about Jesus and what it means to be a believer, but this head knowledge hasn't quite become heart knowledge yet.

Isn't that where we all get into trouble? Even when we understand something logically (head knowledge), when we don't feel it (heart knowledge), it somehow hinders us from moving forward. It can prevent us from letting go and surrendering. If you think about it, surrendering your will to someone else is very scary, especially if you do not know or trust the one you are surrendering to.

I think back to four years ago when I became a believer. I knew there was something desperately missing in my life. And I think the Lord had his hooks into me by the time I showed up at PVCF. As I went through the ALPHA course, I acquired a lot of that head knowledge that I did not yet have. In the midst of it all, I took the plunge and asked Jesus into my heart. I became a believer. But I am not so sure I really surrendered my life to God at that time.

He began to change my heart, and I was definitely a new creation in Christ, but I had trust issues that really prevented me from truly surrendering my life to the Lord. Of course I couldn't really see them so much back then. It wasn't until a year after I came to the Lord when He first asked me, "Why don't you trust me?"

Even though I was trying my best to "surrender" to the Lord, He knew what was in my heart... my fears, my trust issues, my control issues. He knew what was in there that was really preventing me from letting go. I wasn't really letting Him work in my life the way He wanted to. So the next few months were filled with obstacles in my life that the Lord used to show me I could indeed trust him.

After that, true trust began to build slowly, as did my confidence. I began to reach a point where I knew I could step out and do something new and scary, because God was growing my faith and had shown Himself faithful. I knew in my heart and not just my head that He would see me through anything and everything.

My friend is so close to a life altering decision, one I think in her heart she wants to make. She has even said she isn't sure what is stopping her. She hears the Lord whispering His love for her. She sees that the Lord is knocking on the door to her heart. She recognizes that when she opens that door, it won't just be a crack... it'll be thrown wide open. And she knows when she finally surrenders, she will be so much happier.... and saved.

Lord God, thank you that you love every one of your children, and Your desire is to bring each and every one of them to You. I lift up my friend to You and ask that You continue to pursue her. I ask that You open her eyes and heart even further towards You, Father, and keep whispering in her ear how much You love her. Place the people in her path that can help her seek You even more. Thank you for the work You have already been doing in her Godly husband and in her children. Please give me the words You would have for me to speak truth into her life. And thank you for reminding me how precious it is to surrender to You. I love you, Lord. Amen.

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