The below was given to me by our Youth Pastor's wife. It is a powerful testimony of the self-reflection of surrendering. If we do not examine ourselves as Paul admonishes, then we will not see the need for growth. I know God will use this family's personal trials for another's benefit!
"Three simple words. Three simple words that have changed the way I think drastically. Three simple words. “I. Surrender. All.” We sing “I surrender all” just like every good Christian should. We even say that we mean it- and maybe we think we do. But the fact is. Do we? Do we really surrender all? Most of us would answer this with a resounding yes- as would I have done just a few days earlier. I’ll surrender my life, Lord. I’ll do what you want me to do. And you know what? That is an admirable thing to do. But that’s not surrendering all. Lord? I’ll surrender these finances. Again, a wonderful thing that can be done, but that’s still not surrendering all. Lord? I surrender my time. I’ll go to church, I’ll serve extra where You need me to. And yet again, a wonderful and needed thing, but this is still not surrendering all. I myself came face to face with this fact in a startling reality. Do I, Erika Harned, really surrender my all? Sure. There may be many things I am willing to surrender but there are some things that I had yet to give fully to the Lord- things that will continue to be a struggle for me to lay down and give to Him. And yet, I am daily called to surrender my will and my wants to Him. And daily, I have to rely on his strength and help to do so- because I absolutely cannot do it myself. You see, it is much harder for me to surrender my family than it is to surrender myself. I could surrender myself all day long but God wants my family? No thank you! I was recently diagnosed with gestational diabetes. It may seem as if this diagnosis is not a big deal, however when you have been told that this could ultimately result in the death of your unborn son, it becomes a big deal. I found myself almost angry with God. I found myself asking, “God, how could You? You can’t take him. You already have Luke. You can’t have Nathan too.” And the fact is, He hasn’t called Nathan home and has never given the indication that He necessarily will. But these thoughts of mine began to help me realize that I truly had not surrendered my all. I had not surrendered my family. As I began struggling with thinking on things that were true and of good report, my mind was constantly brought back to my baby Luke. And the guilt that came with Luke’s death would wash over me again and again. I didn’t kill Luke. For some reason God chose to take him home. I don’t know why He did, but He did. But yet, the guilt of Luke’s death falls heavily on me. Maybe I wasn’t eating the right foods or maybe I was too active. Or sometimes, maybe my body wasn't good enough. My body just couldn’t handle it. And even though I know it is not my fault, I still have guilt over the death my son. And hearing that my body could be the cause of the death of Nathan began to eat at me. And I’ve prayed and prayed that God will not let me be the cause of death for Nathan too. Then the signs of another disease that could potentially take my son's life came. And with it, came the fear and anguish. I could not lose my son. I just couldn't. I was faced again with the challenge, “Do I surrender all?” My first instinct is to scream out, “NO! I don't.” But I've had to stop and think. God the Father surrendered His Son for me. He gave up His only Son for me. For sinful, wretched me. How could I not trust Him with my son's life? This week I've really had to come face to face with the question of surrendering my all. The fact is, I haven't. This is why I daily, moment by moment, must rely on Jesus to give me the strength to surrender all. Because in my own strength, I simply cannot. *** Update: This was written the day before I was induced with my baby after finding out that my baby was at risk of being stillborn. Thankfully, Nathan is doing great and is almost 4 months old! We are so thankful for God's protection on our child. I am also very thankful for the lesson that God chose to teach me through this trying time. I still have much to learn and still struggle with daily surrendering my all. My prayer for you is that this will help you to truly surrender all."
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I've researched, what I believe are 6 of the best known baseball players ever to play the game and found their best single season batting average (ratio of safe, on-base hits against their outs).
Cal Ripken Jr, 1999, .340 (.276) Willie Mays, 1954, .345 (.302) Hank Aaron, 1959, .355 (.305) Alex Rodriguez, 1996, .358 (.299) Barry Bonds, 2002, .370 (.312) George Herman Ruth (Babe Ruth), 1923, .393 (.262) The best batting average ever recorded in a single season was in 1894 by Hugh Duffy, of the Boston Beaneaters, hitting a .440. These are amazing batting averages right? Well, let's get these 6 best player's single-best batting averages into perspective through percentages. Cal Ripken Jr, 1999, 34% (28%) Willie Mays, 1954, .35% (30%) Hank Aaron, 1959, 36% (30%) Alex Rodriguez, 1996, 36% (30%) Barry Bonds, 2002, 37% (31%) George Herman Ruth (Babe Ruth), 1923, 39% (26%) These single season bests are all below 40%, meaning more than half the time they either miss the ball completely or get out by a hitting the ball poorly. And when you look at their career averages, they are no more than 31%...less than a third of the time they actually get on base. What makes them great at what they do? In baseball, they don't give up! Regardless of how infrequently they may get on base, the keep fighting and their team knows that they will never quit, never stop training, and eventually get on base, probably even as a clutch player! We can take a lesson from these baseball players. For we will not have a necessarily easy life as a Christian. We will have trials, tribulations, failures, and persecutions. The question is not, and cannot be, are you going to give up? The question that must be answered is, are you going to persevere? You see, each of the aforementioned baseball players are notable players and I believe almost all of them made it in the Hall of Fame, simply because they never gave up and kept at it. Let's strive to make it into God's Hall of Fame, not for eternal life, but for gratitude to our Savrior, by persevering through our tough times! There are many people in the world today who believe they have no value, worth, or purpose in life. In fact, the CDC reports that suicide rates went up more than 30% in half the states in the past 20 years, with relationship issues being the most prominent contributing factor (42%) to suicide. (https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/suicide/index.html) How do we combat the growing rise of suicide rates across the nation? I believe worldviews have a role to play.
A little known belief that everyone holds to be true, whether they believe it or not, is a worldview. Simply put, a worldview simply allows one to determine how they view-the-world, and determines certain choices they make. While not many people other than philosophers, psychologists, and theologians actually use the term "worldview," it is a basic thought that everyone has intrinsically. The thing about worldviews is that they can differ, and they can differ substantially, but they each seek to answer at least four questions, enabling one to determine how they to view the world and make decisions about life. 1) Where did we come from? 2) Where are we going after here? 3) Where does morality come from? 4) What is our purpose? These are the four fundamental questions that, depending on how one answers them, shape their worldview. When considering all worldviews available, there are really only two that are substantial within American culture: Theistic (or Christian) and Secular. I want to look at these two and promote the one that provides the most value and worth to an individual. Secular Worldview: 1) Where did we come from? Answer: We came from the stars; we are here based upon random chance; our creation was accidental 2) Where are we going after here? Answer: We go back to the stars; we turn to dirt as the circle of life; nothing, we just cease to exist 3) Where does morality come from? Answer: There is no objective morality; morality is what we decide to benefit society or the community 4) What is our purpose? Answer: Our purpose is what we make it; there is no purpose, we eat, drink, and die Theistic (Christian) Worldview: 1) Where did we come from? Answer: God created the heavens and earth; God created us in the womb; God had a plan for us prior to creation 2) Where are we going after here? Answer: God has prepared a place to live with Him for all those who desire; there is a heaven to gain and hell to shun 3) Where does morality come from? Answer: God, who created everything determines morality; there is an objective right and wrong 4) What is our purpose? Answer: To know the God who created us; to make known the God who created us; to worship God Simply viewing these competing worldviews, one sees a sharp distinction as to how an individual will view the world, and their own life. From a Theistic worldview, life is purposeful, there is a God who created us for a specific purpose and thereby dictates value on each life. We were created, not accidentally but purposefully. From a Secular worldview, we see that one's existence is merely based upon happenstance. That our cosmos is due to a cosmic burp that accidentally provided the materials to garner life. There is no reason why you and I are here, but through chance. Taking it further, we see there is a major difference as to eternal worth in these worldviews. In a Theistic worldview, there is an eternity to gain while in a Secular worldview there are competing views within its own framework, all which amount to cessation and devoid of any eternal significance. I believe that the growing rise of suicide rates can be somewhat attributed to the acceptance and promotion of the Secular worldview that many espouse today. Believing that one is just a great cosmic accident, devoid of any value or purpose, gives a greater propensity for ending life prematurely, while seeing a purposeful creation with value inhibits that suicidal ideation. While I will not say that adopting a Theistic worldview will rid the world of all suicides, but at the very least it should provide a last minute questioning of one's motives to end their own life. If we continue to tell people that there is no purpose for their being here, nor any value or eternal significance, we should not be surprised when they decide to act on an impulsive behavior due to people relaying a poor message to them. A similar problem exists with the promotion of evolution. If we teach our kids that they share a common ancestor with a chimpanzee, why do we get upset with them when they act like animals? After all, are they not doing what is common to them with the shared genetics of a chimp? I pray that no matter where you are today, that you consider your worldview and see its significance that it holds into your decision-making process in life. And if you have rejected a Theistic worldview, I challenge you, seek out its credibility and give it a try for a few weeks, making decisions in your life based solely on the above answers to those four questions, and it will change your life for good! We all question suffering and its purpose in our lives, and the lives of others. Vince Vitale, from Razi Zacharias International Ministry, had an amazing insight into our perspective on suffering and its possible benefits within our lives.
------------------------------------------------------- Imagine aliens who somehow managed to tap into a video feed from earth, but all they could see was the hospital delivery room when I was being born. They watched as doctors forcefully told my mom to do things that made her scream in pain. And then, when she could take no more, the doctors got out a knife and cut right underneath her belly. They took me out, and even though my mom was reaching out for me, the doctors immediately rushed me away from her. What would the aliens think of the doctors? If the aliens saw the first few moments of my life, they might think that the doctors were utterly evil. Only from a fuller perspective would they be able to see that the doctors actually cared for my mother extremely well, and in fact saved my life. On the Christian understanding of reality, what we currently see is only the first few moments of life - literally just the birthing process of human history! You and I will always come up short if we attempt to find the full examination for suffering in this life alone. This life is only the smallest fraction of our lives, for we are going to live forever. And even though right now you and I live in a harsh, broken world, Jesus promises that one day "everyone who call on [Him]" will live in a world that will be good to us (see e.g. Romans 10:13; Acts 2:21; Joel 2:32). Brother or sister, take heart in the fact that we have the greatest Doctor in the Universe! Our great Physician knows our every ailment, and what you and I need to develop and become more like our Savior. We were never told that it would be easy, but our Father did say that we need to live by faith, else we risk succumbing to the adversaries schemes. Stay prayerfully strong my friend! Portions of this was taken from Vince Vitale's article "Why Suffering?" http://rzim.org/just-thinking/if-god-why-suffering/ Have you been trying to serve God, and be a witness for God and yet no matter what you do, it seems as though others prosper while you, seeking service to God through faith and obedience, seem to not be getting any traction? You are not alone!
I have recently been battling discouragement myself and while I have often offered advice to others through discouragement, I seem to be unable to apply my counseling to my own situation. Have you ever fought with that also? You believe you give great advice to another, but yet when you go through your own battle, you seem to completely ignore that same advice you recently gave? I need to constantly remind myself to find solace in the fact that God's written word reveals that in the latter days, people will begin to ignore the truth's of His word, and forsake it for their own teachings and desires. This is clearly what Paul tells Pastor Timothy in Ephesus, in his second epistle (2 Timothy 4:3-4). Knowing this, I remember that this is purposed to happen, and believe the greater the following, the possibility for the straying from biblical teaching. That is not always the case, but a basic rule as we get closer to the return of Messiah. You and I must continue to battle through our serving God, regardless of our circumstances, or how it seems others doing the same thing appear to be prospering much more than we. Remember, we are told that the just must live by faith (Habakkuk 2:4); not trusting in the success or popularity to be a gauge as to the success of our ministry or service, but rather by trusting that our Savior is pleased with our service, sacrifice, and active obedience to what we believe he has for us in our life. Keep battling, keep serving, keep trusting that what you and I are doing is pleasing to our Savior! |
Daniel WeierbachA graduate from Liberty University, with a MA in Theological Studies, Daniel and his wife Rebecca has been married for over 17 years, and together they have two children. He has authored Investigating Lordship Salvation. Archives |