Has it ever seemed like life was hard? No matter what you did, there was no progress. Each day, you put in the work, but the desired results have yet to manifest. You wonder if you’ll ever accomplish your goals. How about your Christian walk? You pray, but it doesn’t seem like God’s listening. Instead of peace and prosperity, you feel doubt and despair. In addition, you see non-believers living their best lives and consider following their ways. Surely, what you’re doing isn’t working. You even ponder the point of your Christian walk. You ask yourself, “Why is it so hard?”
This question is reasonable and has been pondered by many people a time or two. Well, I have good news and bad news. I’ll begin with the bad news because the good is really good. First, no one said life or the Christian walk would be easy. We will experience highs and lows periodically on this journey called life. People will be born, and some will die. We will earn money, and we will lose some. It’s the cycle of life.
Second, some of life’s struggles occur because we want our own way. We want control and things to happen the way we want. Unfortunately, anxiety occurs when we feel like things are out of control. This shows the magnitude of our quest for control. Furthermore, our need for control impacts our Christian walk. We can’t be in control, and God’s in control at the same time. He doesn’t fight for control. Instead, He waits for us to surrender.
Surrender brings us to the good part. I hear you ask, “How can giving up control be the good part?” Simply, surrender means someone else takes the lead. A good leader enables us to rest when we trust the leader. God is a trustworthy leader. “How do I know,” you ask. He created creation and has great things in store for them. Also, He sent His only Son into the world to bring us back to Him (John 3:16). He created a plan for us with hope and future (Jeremiah 29:11). Because He knew we would have highs and lows, He determined that everything would work for us if we follow Him (Romans 8:28). Therefore, He’s a trusted leader.
When I think of our question, I’m reminded of the rich young ruler found in Mark 10:17-27. The ruler wanted to know how to have eternal life. Jesus first gave him the commandments. In response, the ruler said that he followed the commandments since he was a child. Then Jesus said to give everything he had to the poor and follow Him. The ruler was sad because he had many possessions. At this, Jesus said it’s hard to enter the Kingdom of God, but everything is possible with God.
I believe that this passage isn’t about possessions. I know there are wealthy people in heaven. Instead, the passage is about the condition of the heart and one’s willingness to surrender to God. Although surrendering to God can feel like a loss, it’s actually a gain. When we put God first, we gain everything He has (Matthew 6:33). We no longer have to figure everything out alone because He leads and guides us into truth. If we lack, we need a surrender check. When we worry, a surrender check is in order. When hope seems lost, where’s your surrender gauge?
So, what’s the answer to the question? Life and the Christian walk are hard when we choose to be in control. If we relinquish control to God, both become manageable.
~~This post was inspired by my friend, Angela Johnson.
