I want you to consider a counter intuitive thought today–what would happen if your goals for 2023 focused on SURRENDER over SUCCESS?
HERE’S WHY: God wants surrender over success. Obedience over excellence. Trust over triumph.
The pursuit of excellence tortures the soul. Surrender frees it.
Pursuing excellence as a way to be PERFECT is wrong. Christ-like perfection is impossible because he is God and we are not. But we should pursue excellence as a way to CLOSE THE GAP between us and his Christ-like standards even though it will never be completely erased.
With the exception of my initial surrender the day I was saved for eternity, I surrendered nothing early in my faith walk. Not the mansion. Not the sportscar. Not the purpose of my life.
And then God put to me the same question I’m raising today:
“Hey, Mark…what if you set a goal for the new year to surrender to me instead of achieving success for you?”
I said OK and from that day forward I embraced God’s mandate to surrender:
- My mind (Ephesians 4:22-23).
- My body (1 Corinthians 3:16).
- My will (Revelation 22:17).
There are different levels of surrender, but God wants ALL OF THEM, especially surrendering at a deeper level–usually through the crucible of pain–that strengthens our intimacy with Christ.
God demands that we surrender the totality of our very being. He wants the whole, not a part.
I know there is one shot at living a life in Christ on this side of the heavenly divide. JUST ONE. That’s why I am going to choose surrender over success—again—when the new year taps on my door.
I ask God to keep me focused on SURRENDERING to him and strong enough to fight off the urge to concentrate on SUCCESS for me.
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
Will you consider choosing to focus on SURRENDER over SUCCESS in 2023?
“…whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Mark 8:34
