All for Jesus

My heart is very heavy for humanity. The whole earth has been in turmoil and struggle for so long. Satan is in a life and death struggle for each soul. Many people feel the effects of this spiritual conflict and are caught between attraction for this world and a deep need for the love that only God can give. What a battle! It is the age-old war that has been going on since Eve first picked the fruit. This is not just a battle for this earth as a whole, but a fierce war within each individual who feels the call of the Holy Spirit in their lives. That war will persist until one of two things happen; either a person surrenders completely to God, or sin is dallied with for so long that the Holy Spirit quits striving with them and Satan then has sway to degrade as he wishes.

Surrendering is a terrible inward conflict. It means not having any agenda for ourselves, but being willing to be placed wherever God wants us to be, and being happy and finding blessings in that place. “God’s promise is, ‘Ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart.’ Jeremiah 29:13.” Steps to Christ, 43. It takes that complete surrender. Notice the words “with all your heart.” I do not find any reference in the Bible which indicates that any portion can be withheld, no matter how small. “The whole heart must be yielded to God, or the change can never be wrought in us by which we are to be restored to His likeness. By nature we are alienated from God. The Holy Spirit describes our condition in such words as these: ‘Dead in trespasses and sins;’ ‘the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint;’ ‘no soundness in it.’ We are held fast in the snare of Satan, ‘taken captive by him at his will.’ Ephesians 2:1; Isaiah 1:5, 6; 11 Timothy 2:26. God desires to heal us, to set us free. But since this requires an entire transformation, a renewing of our whole nature, we must yield ourselves wholly to Him.” Steps to Christ, 43.

What a dichotomy from the teaching of the world! Even the “church” has bought into the mindset of making our own lives. But what else was Paul saying when he says in Philippians 4:11, “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content”? This whole chapter is such a promise, such a gift that presents what we can have in God. I recommend not only reading it, but soaking it into your heart so the daily life is affected. The following is an excerpt from Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary that sheds some additional light on this verse: “I leave it to others if they will, to be discontented. I, for my part, have learned, by the teaching of the Holy Spirit, and the dealings of Providence (Heb 5:8), to be content in every state.” The Commentary goes on to expound on contentedness: “Content—The Greek, literally expresses ‘independent of others, and having sufficiency in one’s self.’ But Christianity has raised the term above the haughty self-sufficiency of the heathen Stoic to the contentment of the Christian, whose sufficiency is not in self, but in God.” The key here is the phrase, “whose sufficiency is not in self, but in God.” Nothing comes from our own independence! John 15:5 says, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” Paul says, in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” You see, in and of ourselves we have nothing we can call good. In Isaiah 64:6 we read, “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” That is unmistakably clear.

I look at the ongoing misery and see the unhealthy ways in which people seek for fulfillment. I long for each person’s happiness. What most do not understand is that happiness in life comes from a true, complete surrender to God. One of the ways we look for fulfillment is by looking to another human. It is inevitable that they will disappoint us. There is not a single human in life who will not eventually disappoint or hurt. I have learned and am still learning to be okay with that. I am learning that this sad fact is part and parcel of a sinful world. God allows difficulties into our lives so we will learn that lesson. Without complete surrender, and dependence on Him, one can never find the peace or love that God offers. “In giving ourselves to God, we must necessarily give up all that would separate us from Him. Hence the Saviour says: ‘Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be My disciple.’ Luke 14:33.” Ellen White further expounds on this saying, “Whatever shall draw away the heart from God must be given up. Mammon is the idol of many. The love of money, the desire for wealth, is the golden chain that binds them to Satan. Reputation and worldly honor are worshiped by another class. The life of selfish ease and freedom from responsibility is the idol of others. But these slavish bands must be broken. We cannot be half the Lord’s and half the world’s. We are not God’s children unless we are such entirely.” Steps to Christ, 44.

“This world is not my home, I’m just a passin’ through.” If we truly have this in the core of our heart, things will not matter so much here. Our own agenda will disappear and we can focus our eyes on the promises and glory to come. How truly, how deeply, how fervently God loves each one. Yet, I can truly say, the decision is yours, and yours alone. He has not a hair of feeling of coercion or force in Him; only a deep longing and love for you and your happiness, not only for heaven, but even here and now. Refer once again to Steps to Christ, 43. “The government of God is not, as Satan would make it appear, founded upon a blind submission, an unreasoning control. It appeals to the intellect and the conscience. ‘Come now, and let us reason together’ is the Creator’s invitation to the beings He has made. Isaiah 1:18. God does not force the will of His creatures. He cannot accept an homage that is not willingly and intelligently given.”

Whenever I feel overwhelmed by the difficulties of life, when I feel intense pain from a particular situation, I go to the life of Jesus. I think of the solitude that Jesus chose above all else when He left the perfect oneness with His Father; not like the broken connections we so cherish here. It is a connection not one of us here on earth has known or will ever know. Yet God the Father and Jesus chose the separation to achieve our salvation, only to have 100% of the people of earth desert Jesus in His darkest hour. This scene, this amazing character, this abounding love is ever open for our contemplation. The thought overwhelms me as I only just begin to grasp the immense love that must have been in their hearts to make the decision to go through that terrible separation. You know, when Jesus died, it was not from physical causes, and it was, medically speaking, from a broken heart. The separation from His Father, literally, broke His heart and it killed Him. “But it was not the spear thrust, it was not the pain of the cross, that caused the death of Jesus. That cry, uttered ‘with a loud voice’ (Matt. 27:50; Luke 23:46), at the moment of death, the stream of blood and water that flowed from His side, declared that He died of a broken heart. His heart was broken by mental anguish. He was slain by the sin of the world.” The Desire of Ages, 772. I only pray that God will subdue my own heart that I will choose to dwell on that and let His love so shape me that I can then share that love and peace with others.

There is another thought that is incomprehensible to me. God the Father loves Jesus even more because He gave His life to save whoever would accept His salvation on this sinful planet. Think about that. The Creator of an entire universe of perfection and beauty beyond compare allowed His Son to come to a planet filled with misery and hatred. He endured the separation of a perfect relationship, and to crown all, loves His Son more dearly for that sacrifice! What wondrous love.

Each and every one of us has pain in this life. That has been the lot of humanity since sin entered. Even Jesus had pain in His life. The crux of the matter comes in what we choose to do with that pain. What Jesus did with His pain is a study in and of itself. It is easy when we feel that pain to cherish it, to feel it and let it influence our decisions, to reason with ourselves that we are “entitled” to feel it. What a struggle. It brings us back again to surrender. Will we surrender it to God or let it rule our lives? I struggle with that decision on a regular basis, though I notice that the more I make conscious choice to live above it through the grace of God, the easier it becomes, which is what God promises. Praise Him.

“It is a mistake to entertain the thought that God is pleased to see His children suffer. All heaven is interested in the happiness of man.” Steps to Christ, 46. There is nothing to lose, and only happiness to gain here as well as in heaven. Will you surrender today?

Brenda Douay works as a part of the LandMarks team. She can be reached by e-mail at: landmarks@stepstolife.org.