Simply Surrender

I'm ready to be broken before the Lord.  I want to go public with my new commitment to surrender my finances to God.  I've been thinking about it for a long time, and this week's message at church helped cement my commitment to 'Simply Surrender'. 

I've been working for many years to grow closer to the Lord.  Bit by bit he is helping me to do that, showing me what I need to do - like the analogy in John 15:1-2  "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.  He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful."

A few years ago I watched a Rob Bell Nooma video called Kickball (http://nooma.com/nooma-kickball-006-rob-bell.php).  It really made me think - do I really believe that God is good and has my best interests at heart?  If I do, then why don't I trust him - why do I go to Visa and lines of credit instead of waiting for his provision?  It took me a few years to work through that one.  My head said 'trust', but I really didn't want to give up control over my spending. 

A days ago I was struck by Luke 16:  9-13
"9 And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends by means of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when it shall fail, they may receive you into the eternal tabernacles. 10 He that is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much: and he that is unrighteous in a very little is unrighteous also in much. 11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true [riches]? 12 And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? 13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon."

Mammon is not a word I use every day.  It's money and material things.  When I go to Kohl's to buy clothes to cheer me up instead of going to God, I am serving mammon.  So my new mantra is "God or mammon? Need or greed?"  I'm going to pray about my spending, stop the rationalizing, stick to shopping lists (list or lost) and rely on close friends and family to hold me accountable.  It's already difficult, but it's been a pretty good week.  I'll keep you posted.

I'll close the passage we studied in church this week - very applicable message about brokenness - very encouraging words - Isaiah 40:25 - 31
"25 "To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal?" asks the Holy One. 26 Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out one after another, calling each by its name. And he counts them to see that none are lost or have strayed away. 27 O Israel, how can you say the LORD does not see your troubles? How can you say God refuses to hear your case? 28 Have you never heard or understood? Don't you know that the LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth? He never grows faint or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. 29 He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; he offers strength to the weak. 30 Even youths will become exhausted, and young men will give up. 31 But those who wait on the LORD will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. "