Operating in Full Surrender

After Game 5 versus the New York Knicks where the reigning champions, Boston Celtics are trailing (3-2) in the series, Head Coach Joe Mazzula said, “We don’t get to pick the challenges we have — only how we respond to them. That’s just the way life works.” And after hearing this statement — everything clicked. 

Lately, I’ve been thinking about the gravity and collateral impact of my decisions. Maybe because I’ve gotten over the hump of my early twenties, recently became a Dad, or because I, similarly to the Celtics, have found myself on the tail end of a couple Ls. All things considered, one thing I’m certain of is God’s prevailing will.

I used to think that I, alone, was prepared for any sort of adversity. I spent years in therapy, reading self help materials, meditating, journaling, and listening to podcasts. With this sense of awareness, I felt primed to take the world by its horns. It wasn’t until I hit rock bottom where I realized none of these Earthly tools have the capacity to thrive absent of the power and authority of God. 

I can admit, for many years I have wandered through the world relying solely upon my own knowledge, reasoning, and judgement. I grew accustomed to a pattern of rationalizing my experiences but not being truly changed by them. And while this may appear fine on the surface — the implications of this can prove costly in the spiritual. Especially if you're someone who has been chosen by God to lead. 

Hebrews 12:15 says: See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. Another version of this scripture says “corrupting many,” meaning: each time we operate outside of God’s will and ethical standard, our actions have the ability to spread like wildfire throughout our environment and negatively impact our families, friends, followers, work, and our calling. Even things that appear more subtly, such as holding unforgiveness in our hearts toward someone who may have hurt us. This may seem rational in a worldly sense, but in the Spirit we are not modeling a Godly conduct and can possibly lead others into the wilderness through our indifference.

This is something I failed to understand before I rededicated my life to Christ. Now as I seek to die to my flesh daily and allow scripture to reshape my approach to life, I have found myself doing the work on the front end. I’m learning to operate in full surrender, succumbing to that inner voice (the Holy Spirit) as opposed to thinking my will can supersede that of our loving God. 

Because each time we ignore the presence of the Lord, we risk delaying our growth, but also misleading others along the way. When we’re led by the Spirit, it’ll be reflected in the fruits of our lives and just as our sin has the power to impact others, so does our obedience. Your surrender isn’t just personal -- it’s protective. And it’s powerful. So the next time you receive a prompting from the Holy Spirit (conscience), be sure to answer the call. 

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it.’” Isaiah 30:21.