Welcome to the human race! How we all have the capacity to insist on our own way. Some of us, myself included, struggle daily with keeping a good attitude in the midst of making choices when it involves my own will and way.

How amazing that Jesus Christ should pose the answer to our self willed ways. He alone can enable us to surrender, yield and give in to His ways of doing things which are quite different.

I have so much to learn in this whole area of surrender. I feel like I’ve hardly started the Christian life let alone learn it’s basic principles and do it in the strength that he gives.

In Biblical times, his followers were known to turn the world upside down because of their radical living. Jesus called them and us to be servants of all and to consider others as better than ourselves. He also calls us to deny self, take up the cross (e.g. a difficulty or severe trial – which can be different for each of us) and follow him in simple trust and obedience.

When we were bringing up our children ‘obedience’ was not an in word in parenting circles but the Bible clearly expects children to obey their parents (without resentment too). Then, as adults we and they have a better chance to learn to obey God in everyday life.

The Christian life is totally impossible to live without his Holy Spirit working in and through us. Each Christian has him within and he it is who works out his way in us if we let him. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians that when we are weak, then we are strong as we’re not strutting ourselves but leaning on the power of God to work in us what we naturally can’t do for ourselves.

Oh for a fresh anointing of this mighty Spirit of God so that I can make a difference as each believer can also. Together, we can see the forces of darkness and evil be bound and as we pray we can see God at work in our world just simply because we are yielded to his purposes and ways.

So, the way through this dilemma that we all face is to get on our knees and cry out to God to deal with our fallen nature within as we repent of things we know we have done wrong or omitted to do or say. Then, we can confidently ask of our Father God for the equipping and filling of his Holy Spirit afresh for each day so that when we are tempted to show our ugly self then instead his beautiful Spirit can permeate our thoughts, words and actions to produce a sweetness and beauty that has come from him.

When we are around a person who seems so selfless, it is so refreshing to be in their company and challenges us to be more like Jesus, too. Let’s become such a person ourselves by surrendering daily to God for his purposes in our lives to be enacted and fulfilled.