The Gift of Surrender: Trading Defiance for Delight

 Readings 120225 

When I sit and talk with my friends,
we all share the same simple, raw truth:
before we gave everything to Jesus,
we were not nice people.

We were rough.
We were selfish.
We were running the show ourselves.

And yet—
the grace of God opened our eyes.
We know we aren’t perfect now,
but we finally realize it.
That realization, that awareness of our need,
is the first gift.

Deep down, every person carries a disorder of the soul—
an oppositional defiance toward God.
This is the root of Original Sin.
It’s that whisper from the beginning:
“You can be like God. You can decide.”

The world today only shouts that defiance louder.
Life in the womb dismissed as “just cells.”
Identity redefined by human will.
Marriage reshaped into whatever the culture imagines.

But the deeper struggle is not just out there.
It is within us.
Even as believers, we resist.
We want control.
We want to be our own gods.

Healing begins only when we surrender.
Only when we lay down our control,
enter into intimacy with the Lord,
and become small before Him.

This is where Isaiah’s prophecy becomes our hope:
A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse…
The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him.

This is Jesus—
the perfect man of obedience.
The One who breathes truth and justice.
The One whose delight is the fear of the Lord.

And here is truth:
this “fear” is not terror.
It is the Gift of the Holy Spirit.
It is reverence.
It is the child’s love for the Father,
a love that hates to cause Him pain.

Our defiance is replaced by delight.
Our rebellion is healed by reverence.

Jesus confirms this beautiful reversal when He rejoices:
“I give you praise, Father… you have revealed them to the childlike.”

The proud, the “wise and learned,”
cling to their defiance and miss it.
But the humble, the childlike heart that surrenders—
they receive the Kingdom’s secrets.

And this means us.
We, who were once broken and rebellious,
are now blessed.
We see what prophets and kings longed to see:
the face of Christ.

Our old life was defined by defiance.
Our new life, given by grace,
is found in the delight of reverent love.

Blessed are we who surrender.
For in that simple, childlike admission,
we finally see His love,
His justice,
and His peace.

Prayer of Surrender

Lord Jesus,
heal the defiance in my heart.
Teach me to lay down control
and delight in reverence before You.

Spirit of the Lord, rest upon me.
Make me childlike in trust,
so I may see Your love,
Your justice,
and Your peace. 

Amen.

 

What God Calls Us

Readings 120125 

In high school, we voted for class favorites:
Most Likely to Succeed.
Class Clown.
Best Dressed.
Most Artistic.

I didn’t get any of those.
One teacher told me, “I’d give you the title of Most Likely Not to Fail.”
But the truth is… I have failed, many times.

The world loves labels.
It measures us by success, appearance, achievement.
And sometimes we take those labels into ourselves—
calling ourselves failures, unworthy, less than others.

But God speaks a different word:
“He who remains will be called holy.”
Holiness is not our achievement.
It is God’s gift.
His mercy, His shelter, His presence makes us holy, healed, and united in His Kingdom.

The centurion in the Gospel shows us the way.
He doesn’t demand proof.
He doesn’t cling to his own worthiness.
He simply believes: the word of Christ is enough.
And in that trust, his servant is healed.
Faith opens the way to healing.
Healing opens the way to the Kingdom.

God doesn’t ask endless activity.
He doesn’t ask passive waiting.
He asks for living faith expressed in love.
Faith that trusts His authority.
Faith that rejoices in His presence.
Faith that allows Him to purify us.

Through faith, we are made holy.
Through faith, we are healed.
Through faith, we are united in His Kingdom.

So let us remain in Him—
in faith, in hope, in love.
And together, we will rejoice in the house of the Lord.

Prayer

Lord Jesus,
the world gives us labels,
but You call us holy.

Your word is enough.
Through faith, You heal us.
Through faith, You unite us in Your Kingdom.

Keep us in Your presence—
in faith, in hope, in love—
that we may rejoice forever
in the house of the Lord.

Amen.