No retreat, only surrender

If we really want to live a lifestyle of worship to God, our decision-making must be submitted to His authority. Jesus is the ultimate example of worship. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He said “not my will but thine be done”. We must have a mindset of surrender. “ Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will. ” Romans 12:2 (NIV)

We come into alignment with God through submission. When worship becomes our lifestyle, we will walk in the will of God. God will be ordaining our steps, clearing a path before us, breaking down mountains, filling up valleys, conquering giants, and changing our character. We will understand what He’s doing, and be okay with it. We can be confident that:

GOD’S WILL FOR US IS ALWAYS GOOD

We know that God’s will for our lives is always for the best. God only asks us to do what is good for us and for others. He will not hurt us and He loves us.

GOD’S WILL FOR US IS ALWAYS PLEASING

If it pleases God, then it will ultimately please me too. We’re created to please God and doing so will bring us the most peace we’ve ever had. That’s because having a right relationship with God secures His blessings on us. One of the things that causes frustration and turmoil in our lives is being out of the will of God.

GOD’S WILL FOR US IS ALWAYS PERFECT

He doesn’t want us to settle for second best in His kingdom. His will is perfectly what we need for where we are in our Christian walk. We can submit to His will gladly as believers, knowing we are in the hands of a God we can trust with our lives. When we become Christians, we no longer live to please ourselves but to please God; this is our reasonable act of worship.

William Borden was a millionaire, a graduate of Yale, and a handsome and privileged young man. God called him to pursue world missions, and he said, “Yes”. His friends thought he was crazy. One of them wrote to him, “You’re throwing yourself away.” It didn’t stop him. At age 25, in 1913, on his way to China, Borden contracted meningitis and died. He left a note as he lay dying, which simply said, “No reserve, no retreat, no regrets.” His whole life made that statement. A friend wrote of Borden, “No one would have known from his life and talk that he was a millionaire, but no one could have helped knowing that he was a Christian.”

A surrendered life is a life of worship and God is glorified through it. A lifestyle of worship cannot be hidden, people will see it and glorify God. God carefully designed and created us to worship!

Romans 12:1-2 tells us that the Christian life is all about honouring God in everything that we do, say, think, and feel. It’s about presenting our bodies on a daily basis as living sacrifices. Some of you might be thinking, “Why is God interested in me? I’m too old or too young, or I have done deplorable things so God couldn’t be interested in my worship; I’m unworthy. What kind of sacrifice would I be?”

1 Peter 2:5b (ESV) says “ … Offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ” Just know that God doesn’t want our capability, He wants our availability.