I think it's really easy for me to think "I know you ask for all of me, God, but I'm just going to hold onto this one little piece" - whether that piece is something that I really like, or something that I am really ashamed of, or something that I just plain don't want to share. I do it with my kids: "God, you can have it all, but maybe not my kids... they're mine... I'm not sharing"... I do it with sins: "God, I know you can and have forgiven everything, but sometimes, I just need to feel the pain again, to wallow in that, to feel unforgivable and horrible and rotten"... I do with with my desires: "God, I know you want me to stop feeling this way, or doing this thing, but... It feels so good... and it makes me happy... you want me to be happy, right?"
"Everything's on the altar now
No holding back, no holding out
In view of your matchless sacrifice
Take every treasure, take this life"
But if I think about it - His sacrifice. It was everything. He gave it all. He gave up His desires. He gave up His plans. He gave up His selfishness. He gave up my sins.
If I am to really be like Jesus, I need to give it all up. ALL.
"Selfish ambition and my pride
I'm giving up, I'm letting die
In these empty hands I have it all, have it all
The pure joy of knowing You, my Lord"
In our empty hands, we are filled with His pure joy. We must be completely empty to be filled up with Him, in all situations.
"We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love." (Romans 5:3-5 NLT)
The trials and problems we run into help us see our blind sides. They help us see where we haven't yet surrendered everything. That doesn't mean they are fun, but they help us surrender - to help us develop the endurance needed to keep surrendering every day. To set us free - free to be filled with His love, which gives us hope.
"All that I am for all that You are, my Lord
All that I have for all that You are
You're the pearl beyond price, greater than life
All that I am for all that You are"
Everything's on the altar now
No holding back, no holding out
In view of your matchless sacrifice
Take every treasure, take this life
All that I am for all that You are, my Lord
All that I have for all that You are
You're the pearl beyond price, greater than life
All that I am for all that You are
Selfish ambition and my pride
I'm giving up, I'm letting die
In these empty hands I have it all, have it all
The pure joy of knowing You, my Lord
All that I am for all that You are, my Lord
All that I have for all that You are
You're the pearl beyond price, greater than life
All that I am for all that You are
It's only in surrender that I'm free
It's only in surrender that I'm truly free
It's only in surrender that I'm free
(All I am is Yours, my Lord)
It's only in surrender that I'm truly free
I am free. I am free indeed
I am free. I am free indeed
All that I am for all that You are, my Lord
All that I have for all that You are
You're the pearl beyond price, greater than life
All that I am for all that You are
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