Yielding Ourselves

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Ephesians 6:10

Ever tried to stop doing something you know you shouldn’t?

Could be eating too much sugar, drowning your sorrows in alcohol, or spending way too much time scrolling through your phone.

Could even be your attitude or reaction when things don’t go your way.

Or choosing to listen only to yourself instead of others.

All of it points to placing, you guessed it – yourself on the throne instead of God, the One who created you and all things.

Yielding to Jesus will break every form of slavery in our human lives.

Food, exercise, exhaustion, perfection, fear, anxiety, or pride.

Anything placed before Jesus can become a form of slavery as we feed that characteristic within ourselves instead of feeding our relationship with Jesus.

Some of those things are super great, like exercise or eating healthy.

But if that desire replaces your desire for God, then that desire has become a god to you, probably rooted in fear if you don’t perform exactly right.

We can only find victory over ourselves through Jesus.

Through Jesus’ peace and strength.

Love this poem from Amy Carmichael, a missionary to India in the early 1900’s:

Before the winds that blow decrease, teach me to dwell within Thy calm; before the pain passed in peace, give me, my God, to sing a psalm. Let me not lose the chance to prove the fullness of enabling love. O love of God, do this for me; maintain a constant victory.

Don’t you just love that phrase: maintain a constant victory.

A plea for God to not only win in our lives, but to keep winning.

Only happens when we yield ourselves over to God, who is infinately more capable than our sinful selves.

Lord, give us a portion of your sweet spirit, spilling out your life and love to others.

As life consumes us, help us to place You on the throne of our heart, wanting only what You want for us.

With You, we will have constant victory, even if we don’t see it.

Because You have already won. You are our constant victory.