Lose All Control

As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him (Colossians 2:6).

The most important thing we can do as a Christian is to surrender to the Lordship and leadership of Christ. But this isn't easy for us to do. We like to be in control. This was Lucifer's problem when he led a revolt in heaven. It was Adam and Eve's problem when they listened to the serpent's lies and disobeyed God. It was Sarah and Abraham's problem when they took matters into their own hands and Ishmael was born of Hagar. This list goes on and on.

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me (John 15:4).

It's still a problem today, but surrendering should be one of the first steps in becoming a Christian. We must first surrender to Christ and truly make him Lord of our lives before we can bear fruit. What we do isn't nearly as important as "abiding" in Christ. Working for Christ will be a natural outcome of abiding in Him and letting Him take control. Yet, almost all our Bible studies, Sunday School lessons, and sermons are about doing the right thing or not doing the wrong thing. Again, this will come more easily when we abide in Christ.

If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you (John 15:10).

In his book, Sifted, Rick Lawrence writes: "What makes God happy --intensely happy? Well, when we abide in Him like a grafted-in branch, intimately and profounded connected to Him and therefore involved in whatever He's doing." And you know what? That's what makes us truly happy, too -- ecstatically joyful!

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