It was a normal Tuesday morning. Driving into work and school, we were saying our morning prayers. Every day we pray for each other, we pray for those who are sick, and we pray for several other random things. Actually, I never know what is going to come out of Caleb’s mouth. At three years old, he could pray for almost anything. Let me just assure you that Ninjas, Transformers, and Power Rangers have all been covered in prayer.
This morning, his prayer focus was on trucks. Part of our routine is that he can keep praying for as long as he chooses. We just let him talk and talk and talk. Today as we drove, he pointed out every truck and prayed for each one with his entire heart. When I asked him why he was only praying for trucks, his response was simple and factual: “I like them, Daddy.” As I sat in awe and amazement of his young faith, I also pondered this question, “Am I that different?”
I came to the realization that in my own prayer life I do the same thing. I take what I like and I lift it up to God. While I don’t think that is an awful thing, I also know that I may sound a little bossy to God.
Please bless this…
Please protect this….
Give me wisdom and discernment on this….
Sometimes I think God likes to speak to me with 2x4s to the spiritual forehead. The day after the truck incident, I started re-reading the Palm Sunday story in the Gospel of Luke. What I began to see is that Palm Sunday is the beginning of the journey to the cross - the beginning of the ultimate act of surrender.
I think the true act of being a disciple is deciding that I am going to go from a “what-I-like” faith to a faith that says, “not my will, but Your will be done.” Surrendering is not an act of vulnerability, but rather an act of faith.
I wish this whole idea were easier, I wish it were cleaner, and I wish there were some quippy saying that I could hold on to for a successful act of surrendering. Unfortunately, the only thing I know to do is to recommit to one thing and one thing only: giving up our own agenda to follow Jesus every day. To surrender our own likes and ask for God’s will to be done.
Self Challenge
What area of your life do you need to surrender?
How can you incorporate an act of surrender into your daily life?
What areas of your life do you constantly strive to be in control of?