I wrote a post using this same verse last spring, but yesterday morning I had an unusual experience and woke up with the words of this verse being the first thing on my mind. It was a beautiful autumn day here in the Pacific Northwest and, since it was my husband's day off, we decided to drive to the beach. Walking beside the sea is my favorite place to talk to God. While I was walking He downloaded some thoughts into my heart about this verse that I hadn't written about in my previous post so I thought I'd share them here.
In order to return to God and experience the peace and rest that He wants to give us we have to relinquish ourselves to Him. To relinquish means to voluntarily cease to keep or claim; to give up. Since you are reading this post on a Christian website then the odds are that you have at one time asked Jesus Christ to be your Savior and Lord. You relinquished yourself to Him. But you and I both know how easy it is to, thought by thought, word by word, action by action, start running your own show again. Sometimes we have to return to that place of relinquishment. First Corinthians chapter six verse twenty says, "For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s." God has redeemed, purchased us, through the blood of His Son. We belong to Him. Going our own way and doing our own thing is not an option in the life of a Christ follower. When we resist Him, His loving direction, correction and leading, then we are, in essence, living in rebellion. A rebellious heart that is being resistant to God cannot be at peace and rest.
To return to God is repentance, which actually means to turn. We turn back to God and relinquish our rights to self rule to Him. Jesus, our Humble King, is our example. He was/is God, yet He was willing to lay aside His rights and become a human being. He humbled Himself to the extreme of death on the cross for sins that He, the Sinless One, never committed, for the sins of you and I. Philippians 2:5-8 says that we are to have the same attitude and humility as Jesus. Like Him, we are called upon to relinquish our rights to self rule and to confidently trust and obey the Father even to the point of death to self. That means we accept His wise leadership over us, even if it means not getting our own way or not doing our own thing. The joy set before Jesus is what gave Him courage to embrace His cross. The joy set before us can give us courage to embrace ours. Our joy is the inner peace and transformation, the inner rest, that comes when we are yielded to God's love and God's ways.
I know what it is to live in inner stubbornness, resistance and rebellion. I also know what it is to repent and to return to relinquishment. I can feel the difference between those times when my heart is stubborn and hard and when it is tender, soft, and pliable to God. When my heart is soft and yielded I am an easy recipient of His love and am able to be a channel of His love to others. Even in difficult circumstances I sense God's peace and rest. When I am being stubbornly resistant and rebellious my heart is hardened to God's love and I'm in no place to love others well because I'm too busy thinking about what I want! I can tell you honestly, doing things God's way really is the best way. It is the way to peace and rest.
still following,
Elizabeth, I love this post! Relinquishment is such a key...when I am praying, I picture Jesus Christ, my Good Shepherd, in the green pasture of the 23rd Psalm. As I pray, I take whatever concern I have, or the person for whom I am interceding by the hand. I walk out to the meadow, the green pasture, and I place my concern, or the hand of the person for whom I am interceding, in Jesus’ hand…knowing that He is sovereign, He loves me, and He loves the person for whom I am interceding more than I do. He has a plan, a hope, and a future for each of us…and I walk away, thanking God for how He is working in my life and in the lives of those for whom I am interceding. I experience a feeling of peace…as Catherine Marshall prayed, Lord, I trust You…You know what You’re doing…I relinquish my will to Yours. Many blessings to you!
ReplyDeleteI love Catherine Marshall's books and believe I have most all of them. Maybe it's time for me to get them down off the shelf and re-read them! I hadn't thought about her words on relinquishment for a long time until you reminded me!
DeleteYour posts are always so encouraging to read, and this morning didn't disappoint. I see myself in your words. He is teaching me to be more Humble, but I find myself continuing down the same path. Over the years, I have built a wall, I know it is over past hurts so I'm not as loving as I once was. I pray, but I continue to harbor the hurt feelings. So I feel that I still Love, but I run into that wall when it comes to showing love to others. Anyway, hard to define exactly, but I am a work in progress, and your post about relinquishing is helpful this morning. The panic that I feel when I relinquish my love and time to others in life has become a stumbling block. I pray and give it to God, but does seem that I am handing it to him with a hand that is clasped instead of open. Your post is a great reminder of that to me, and I need to just Trust more and hand it over. Have a great Sunday.
ReplyDeletePeabea @ Peabea Scribbles Sunday Scripture Blessings. Thanks so much for sharing my link. :)
Those walls that we build up around unhealed hurts, unmet needs or unresolved issues can be so hard to let down. It takes daily relinquishment and trusting God that He will protect our wounded places better than we can ourselves. When we build the walls, it actually hinders Him from being able to reach in and heal us. God bless, strengthen and encourage you. I so understand the struggle.
DeleteAmen. This is such a succinct post, Elizabeth. The words have gone straight to my heart and are drawing me closer to God. Thank you. I, too, know ... "what it is to live in inner stubbornness, resistance and rebellion. I also know what it is to repent and to return to relinquishment." There is something good actually in knowing both sides of the coin. I appreciate the repentance and the relinquishment far more because I was stubborn and rebellious, resisting Him is all ways for many years. May God continue to grow us.
ReplyDelete"May God continue to grow us." Amen and amen! I appreciate your encouragement and sweet spirit so much!
DeleteGreat post...as always!!! Love the line, "But you and I both know how easy it is to, thought by thought, word by word, action by action, start running your own show again.".......No, No more running my own show!!! I am in a new chapter of my life and I certainly want His love, protection and guidance.
ReplyDeleteHave a good rest of your weekend.
"No more running my own show!" Amen! Today we had water baptisms at church and it was all young people. One by one they said, "I want Jesus to be the boss of my life!" Isn't that the reality of how we should live?
DeleteBeautiful image! It works well with the words.
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