Consistent Movement: Total Surrender

Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil. (Proverbs 4:25-27 NIV)

Thick traffic

Remember a time you drove in thick traffic? Slower drivers stay to the right and faster ones to the left. In a perfect world, this theory would work. I exercised this thought in four lanes of traffic yesterday. The car behind me kept switching lanes, I decided to stay left. They did move ahead. Even though the left lane moved slower than I wished, the speed remained consistent. The next thing I knew, here came the car behind me again.

Confined?

Our spiritual walk resembles this example. We drive in the right lane, then move to the left. Steps toward holiness require effort/desire to change. We feel confined, time to switch lanes. A battle wars within between good and evil. We are back and forth lanes, always to fall behind. A crazy cycle is repeated. One day, the Holy Spirit’s nudge redirects our path. Rebellion is stopped. Hunger and thirst after righteousness is craved. We stay consistent in the left lane and begin to move ahead.

Repentance

We all go through similar cycles. I had to repent this week. I found myself at Lifeway’s Ridge Crest Conference Center in perfect alignment with God’s will after years of rebellion and denial. This beautiful Southern Baptist property… Southern Baptist? The church where my heart crashed because my fairly new husband changed our denomination? I would leave services in tears. No, this church was in perfect alignment for our destiny. I reeked with self-righteousness. Unwilling to let go of my old season, I clung to my warm snugly blanket. Once we cross rebellion into total surrender, we find perfect contentment to stay consistent in the left lane.

Consistent and straight

As we move forward in total surrender, there is one direction-straight. Tune our ears, remove scales off our eyes, and soften our heart to understand God’s purpose for our lives. We were reminded this week, each one is given a purpose to fulfill God’s glory. A power testimony by Torry Martin tugged our hearts. If we do not do our part, then God’s glory is not fulfilled. Forward Friday! Let’s seek and confirm our God-given purpose as we move forward in love and compassion.

Be encouraged!