ResurrenderPrimjer

THE PROCESS OF RESURRENDER: REPETITION

It’s one thing to surrender the first time, but to "resurrender" means to make this decision over and over again. It’s important to note that the word RESURRENDER is made up of two parts: "RE" and "SURRENDER." The word "surrender" means to yield (to give up, to hand over, and to submit). But the prefix "re" indicates repetition.

Although there is purpose in "surrender," the real power is in the "re." The consistent choice to yield to God’s ways, and God’s plans for our lives is the very choice that centers us in God’s will. When we repeat this decision day in and day out, we lay the foundations of a life that is less about self, and more about Him. In fact, the one decision that is better than the decision you made to follow Jesus, is when you make the decision to follow Jesus every day.

Personally, I have been focusing on my physical health over the last few years. Whether it’s weight loss, building strength or just general fitness, the key has not been what I am doing, but the consistency in how I do it. You can lift the heaviest weights at the gym, but you won’t build strength if you don’t repeat it. You can run on as many treadmills as you possibly can, but you won’t build fitness if you don’t repeat it. You can eat a kale salad every now and then, but you won’t lose weight if you don’t repeat it.

It’s funny that the big dreams you have start with small repetitions—developing habits, building consistency, and repeating the mundane. There is power in REPETITION.

In its purist form, to "resurrender" means to "repeat surrender."

In my own life, I have seen the power of "repeating surrender." Some years ago, I had a close relationship which gradually began to turn toxic. The tension was rising, the frustration was growing, and the disappointment was becoming more evident. Every day I would pray that God would change this person, that God would change their mindset, their attitude, and their heart. For months nothing seemed to change. I remember speaking to a mentor who gave me some advice that changed my life from that point. My mentor said to me, “maybe you need to stop praying that God would change them and pray that God would change you.” At that moment, I learned that I needed to surrender my relationship DAILY. I had to repeat surrender. In fact, my prayer changed; I stopped praying about them, and began to surrender myself. Before I knew it God was not just changing me, but He was changing the relationship. The daily choice to resurrender meant that I was giving God room to begin to change the relationship, and that is the power of resurrender: it’s that God doesn’t just change the circumstance, He will often change you.

Consistency comes when we repeat the same action over time. In fact, the origin of the word "consistent" comes from the Latin phrase to "stand firm." To be consistent is to stand firm. Consistency is not swayed by the circumstance, the situation, the trial, or the challenge. Consistency chooses to stand firm. Every time we repeat surrender, we are choosing to stand firm.

Something we often say in our church is that "Jesus is not your cheat meal; He is your daily bread." God is not a special treat for our spirit on the weekend, God is a sustaining source for our everyday life. The key to building our faith is not found in a Sunday service experience, but it’s found in a life of repeated surrender.

QUESTIONS:

1. Have there been times when you have had to die to self? (Maybe an opinion, agenda, relationship etc).
2. What are some consistent habits you would like to develop in your life?