ODJ: struggle to surrender
February 14, 2010
The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” (v.24).
READ: Mark 9:14-27
Recently, I found myself chuckling over a radio commercial for car stereos. A couple of men joked about two things you don’t want to do on your own. The first was to perform surgery on yourself: “Hmmm . . . I think I’ll take out my appendix this weekend.” That’s definitely not a good idea. The second was attempting to install your own car stereo system. I have to agree with them on that one too—don’t try to do it on your own.
After I stopped laughing, I realized these guys were on to something. There are many things we shouldn’t try to tackle by ourselves. Generally speaking, it’s not a good idea to go through life in complete solitude. Going through life without regular involvement with others isn’t healthy and can be dangerous (Hebrews 3:13). And it’s truly unwise to fly solo without God (James 4:7).
Surrendering to God is not a one-time event. We need to come daily before Him and center ourselves in His friendship and authority. Some days we surrender gladly and willingly. Other times it’s not so easy. Painful experiences can wear down our faith and tempt us to assume the worst about God.
When we find ourselves in a crisis of faith—tempted to go it alone—it’s important not to pretend that everything is okay. Faking surrender can be just as bad as not surrendering. That’s why it’s important to be honest.
Like Gideon or Jeremiah, there are times we have to wrestle with doubts before we can truly surrender to God (Judges 6:1-22; Jeremiah 20:7). While we may still have some questions, a sincere desire to surrender can emerge from our hearts—one that reflects the words a struggling man once expressed to Jesus, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24). —Jeff Olson
What doubts have you been wrestling with? Why is it vital that you bring them to God and not keep them to yourself?
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Thank you for friends. This is the first time for me to reply this section. I’am from Nias island, far away in west Sumatera Indonesia. I found here in my island, the students so lazy to study. I don’t know why. But really I am so sad looking at this situation, of how this new generation build strong figure now for the challenged future.