Day 10 is all about surrendering to “God” – surrendering to Good, to your internal guidance system. I found this chapter beautifully written and moving. I think it’s mostly an elaboration on the idea of “obeying wholeheartedly” from day 9, and I’ve written plenty about this already in that post and in previous posts so I won’t repeat myself, but I do want to share some quotes from the chapter I found especially poignant:
God is not a cruel slave driver or a bully who uses brute force to coerce us into submission. He doesn’t try to break our will, but woos us to himself so that we might offer ourselves freely to him. God is a lover and a liberator, and surrendering to him brings freedom, not bondage. When we completely surrender ourselves to Jesus, we discover that he is not a tyrant, but a savior; not a boss, but a brother; not a dictator, but a friend…
Again, I view the terms “God” and “Jesus” as synonyms for our True Self, our internal guidance system. It’s not about surrendering to anything outside ourselves, but to who we really are behind our ego image.
We accept our humanity intellectually, but not emotionally. When faced with our own limitations, we react with irritation, anger, and resentment. We want to be taller (or shorter), smarter, stronger, more talented, more beautiful, and wealthier. We want to have it all and do it all, and we become upset when it doesn’t happen. Then when we notice that God gave others characteristics we don’t have, we respond with envy, jealousy, and self-pity…
You know you’re surrendered to God when you rely on God to work things out instead of trying to manipulate others, force your agenda, and control the situation. You let go and let God work. You don’t have to always be ‘in charge.’ The Bible says, ‘Surrender yourself to the Lord, and wait patiently for him.’ Instead of trying harder, you trust more. You also know you’re surrendered when you don’t react to criticism and rush to defend yourself. Surrendered hearts show up best in relationships. You don’t edge others out, you don’t demand your rights, and you aren’t self-serving when you’re surrendered…
Victory comes through surrender. Surrender doesn’t weaken you; it strengthens you…
Everybody eventually surrenders to something or someone. If not to God, you will surrender to the opinions or expectations of others, to money, to resentment, to fear, or to your own pride, lusts, or ego. You were designed to worship God [ed. note: worship God = surrender to your internal guidance system] – and if you fail to worship him, you will create other things (idols) to give your life to. You are free to choose what you surrender to, but you are not free from the consequences of that choice. E. Stanley Jones said, ‘If you don’t surrender to Christ, you surrender to chaos’…
Surrendering is never just a one-time event. Paul said, ‘I die daily.’ There is a moment of surrender, and there is the practice of surrender, which is moment-by moment and lifelong. The problem with a living sacrifice is that it can crawl off the altar, so you may have to resurrender your life fifty times a day. You must make it a daily habit…
TL;DR: No tl;dr for virtual book club posts.
