Time
and again God had been speaking to Francis that He wanted him to be a preacher. But he
created all sorts of excuses. He thought, “Why can’t I be a successful businessman
and then donate generously to missions?”
As
a boy, Francis knew what it was like to be hungry. Often he would fight with
his sister for food or cry himself to sleep without dinner. His father drew a meagre
pay as a supervisor in an estate. He wished Francis would one day become a
lawyer or doctor and not have to suffer the same fate as him.
Once,
Francis was punished by his dad when he got almost impeccable results—A’s for all 8 subjects except for a B
in English. He was made to stand at the corner for one hour with a pile of
books precariously balanced on his head.
We
can understand why Francis finds it difficult to relinquish control of his life despite hearing God’s call. His impoverished background
and the strict, disciplinarian upbringing of his father were barriers he had to
overcome before he could give himself fully to God.
Rick Warren believes
that “there are three barriers that block our total surrender to God: fear,
pride and confusion.”
Like
Francis, it is easy to give up certain areas in our lives but hold back others
because control is one area we
wrestle with God.
According to A. W.
Tozer: “The reason why many are still troubled, still seeking, still making
little forward progress is because they haven’t come to the end of themselves.
We’re still trying to give orders and interfering with God’s work within us.”
Surrender
is never meant to be easy. But Jesus shows us by example what it means to give
up our rights.
Christmas
is about Jesus who came down to earth 2000 years ago to die for man’s sins.
Jesus is God but He stooped low to take the form of man. Furthermore, He
willingly subjected Himself to flogging, and the humiliation and excruciating pain
of being hung on the cross.
In
so doing, He opened up the way for man to be forgiven and be reconciled with
God. Now those who believe in His sacrificial death on the cross can enter into
a personal relationship with God. Mission accomplished. To Jesus, this is what gives
Him the greatest joy and fulfillment. Never mind the agony and shame (Hebrews
12:2).
This
Christmas, we need to rediscover that the greatest joy comes when we yield
ourselves to God. If we are believers, it means acknowledging that His will is
best for our lives. Seemingly endless “mental chatter” (what if … am I making
the right decision?) counsels us as to why we should retain some control
over our lives. But true joy comes when we learn to let go. Trust and obey.
Putting
our confidence in God will bring greater joy than ever before to our lives. It
may not always be comfortable or convenient; neither does it promise to bring
material blessing. The reward is maturity and character coupled with the
promise of His peace, presence, protection and provision.
Eventually,
Francis gave up his struggle with God and went on to become a preacher; God
confirmed his decision with blessings the world will never know.
“No
eye has seen, no ear has heard,
and no mind has imagined
what God has prepared
for those who love him (1 Corinthians 2:9).
and no mind has imagined
what God has prepared
for those who love him (1 Corinthians 2:9).
Tinsel and jingles remind us of the season’s joy. But true joy starts from within—when we learn to let go.
As the lyrics of “Christmas isn’t Christmas” tell us:
Christmas isn't Christmas till it happens in your heart
Somewhere deep inside you
Is where Christmas really starts
So give your heart to Jesus,
you'll discover when you do
That it's Christmas, really Christmas for you.
Somewhere deep inside you
Is where Christmas really starts
So give your heart to Jesus,
you'll discover when you do
That it's Christmas, really Christmas for you.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RELATED POSTS
THE JOY OF GIVING
Can joy come out of giving? Wouldn’t it be better to be on the
receiving end instead? A jobless man desperately
wanted to buy a present for his son. All the children in the neighborhood had
presents for Christmas. He could almost imagine his boy squealing with
delight upon unwrapping the present …
BURDEN OF JOY
Who wants to have a burden when we can have blessing? But how about a
burden which brings joy?
STEPPING OUT OF OUR COMFORT ZONE
Discomfort awaits the faithful. To bring out the
best in us, God may lead us to places where we get stretched like a rubber
band.
STEPPING INTO OUR DESTINY
When we step out by faith to embrace God’s calling, we need to focus on
His promises rather than obstacles.
No comments:
Post a Comment