Surrender the Flag

I have put together a puzzle or two in my life. I don't think I ever actually start one, but I always stop and help someone else with theirs. I can still remember my parents rules if we were working on a puzzle together. "Always start with the edges! Corners first!" Now let's be honest, if there are a thousand puzzle pieces on a table and all of them are the size of a toddlers fingernail then finding the four corners can take a while! 

My three preschoolers and I were visiting at my parent's house recently, and I watched as my mom tried to enforce these same rules with my kids. I made sure my snickers weren't audible. My three year old would lose interest rather quickly and just leave. My 4 year old daughter understood perfectly, but you can't tell her anything right now. She has to do it her way. While she is very analytical and does well with the puzzles, its slow progress because she has to use trial and error instead of your help. 

On the other side of the table, I could see my four year old son's confusion at the concept of flat sides and corners. He's used to the pieces you slide around on the wooden frame until they accidentally pop in place. Once my mom helped him with the outside pieces, he decided he would do the rest of the 30 piece Spiderman puzzle on his own...without help. Saying that to his sister, as nosy and bosssy as she is, is like throwing gasoline on a fire.  When he says, "Don't help me", she automatically starts creeping over next to him. As soon as he looks down she starts instructing him as to how he should be doing it. "I said leave me ALONE!" Once I make her leave the table completely I watch my son put his puzzle together with his Mammaw (who is "not" helping). She hands him a piece to "try". Now my mom and I could both see that the piece needed to be turned just a little. My son lays it down and starts beating it with his fist, trying to force it in. I think my mom picked the puzzles up for a few years.

Since we're talking about puzzles (most likely against your will), have you ever watched someone work on a puzzle? It is the dullest thing...EVER! Why? They are doing it too slow.That piece doesn't go there. You're doing it the wrong way. Bottom line, it's because we aren't in control.
Let's look at Matthew 16:21-28,

21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!"
23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." 
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.

Let's set the stage. It is getting close to the end of Jesus' ministry and, as we see in verse 21, He is trying to prepare the disciples for what is to come, specifically his death and resurrection. Let's skip the next few verses for now and go straight to verse 24. Jesus gives the key to salvation. This is not the short, sweet prayer we see in the back of Bibles or hear in Sunday School. This is what the prayer looks like when it is sincere. Jesus is saying that if you really want to follow me, then you have to die. To the casual reader this seems rather disturbing so let's use an illustration to help.

We are born as a blank slate, much like this puzzle piece. The colored sections are family, genetics, and other things we can't change. The rest, is left for us to fill in. God designed each of us with free will. We get to choose how we live our life. Ideally, God wants us to turn to Him and let Him guide our decisions. Jeremiah 1:5 reads,

5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."

Granted, God was speaking personally to Jeremiah. But the truth found here is for all of us; God has a plan for us before we are even born. God is working on a cosmic puzzle and he knows exactly how you should fit into it. He designed you a certain way. He knows where you will fit and where you will be the most fulfilled.

But.

But we have free will. Even though God has a plan for us, it is our choice. Sadly, none of us choose the right path. At some point we choose to order our life the way we want to. We start out dissatisfied with what we are. We look around and decide that we could use a little bit of this color or some of that design. We decide we want to be famous or at least important. Then we decide we want to make enough money so we can do what we want. Friends we hang out with leave traces of themselves on us. Stupid mistakes we made leave lasting marks that affect us years later. We decide we want to be like this celebrity or that leader. We look at what every one else is doing and we pick what we think we will like. Sometimes we even drastically alter ourselves searching for something toi fulfill us and we come up with something resembling this...  

Here's the truth in Matthew 16:26-27;

26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.

Jesus says very clearly that He is coming back one day. When He comes back we will be rewarded, good or bad, according to what we have done. The problem our society runs into is the term "good enough". God knows my heart. He knows I care about others. Compared to that guy, I'm "good enough". Jesus doesn't grade on a curve. God isn't concerned with anyone else when YOU are standing in front of Him. There is only one question and it has a yes or no answer.

Did you follow my Son? I sent Him to earth to provide a way for you to walk through those gates and to show you how you ought to live. Did you follow Him?

Well...you see...I was going to...but...I...

Did you follow Him?

I tried my best to do the right thing...

Did you follow Him?

 I was going to, but have you seen what those Christians did...



Did you follow Him?

No...

At this point it is all too late. The Bible says plainly that if we live this life separated from God, then He will let us spend eternity separated from Him. 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 reads,

8 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power .

Yes, I know this sounds harsh, but it is our choice. God gives us an entire lifetime to agree to follow Him. Even if we wait until our death bed, he will receive us with open arms. And yet, we complain that God is cruel because He would send people to Hell. He can't be loving if He throws people into eternal fire. But what we're saying is...it's my life. How dare you tell me how to live it. Jesus' reply is,

25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.

If we do things our way, then we are telling God that we aren't interested in what He thinks. I don't want You to have control over my life. There are things I want to do that You won't let me do. Or, if I follow you I may not be happy. It's like we decide one day that we are going to play a cosmic game of Capture the Flag. We race up and grab our flag. Then we take off to the other side and try our best to keep God from getting our flag back. Some people spend their entire lives doing this. The problem is, this isn't a game. It's really more like practice. Coaches love to say, "How you practice is how you'll play".  This life is, in part, practice for eternity. And as Jesus says in verse 25, "How you practice is how you'll play."

But it doesn't have to be this way. If we choose to follow God, then the puzzle piece looks different. We still have the parts of us we were born with, but God is able to put His desires for our life in the blank spots. Yes, this is very simplified. We will make mistakes. We will occasionally fall back into sin. Circumstances in our life will leave marks on us that will be negative. The key is to follow Him. After we fall, we get up and follow Him. When we turn aside onto another path, we call out to Him and follow again. When we get knocked down and trampled on, we refuse to quit but instead we get back up and follow Him. It's not about the spiritual things you do, it's about who you love.

 Even as Christians we can go our own way. Besides the sin that can creep in, it is very easy for us to become legalistic in our mindset. Salvation has nothing to do with a checklist of good actions or a pink slip filled with bad actions. Yes, when we choose to sacrifice our earthly life to follow Christ, we will find ourselves wanting to do these things. But it is possible to decide to do these spiritual things and never acknowledge God as Lord or Jesus as Savior. When this happens, we are doing good for our own glory. We want to pat ourselves on the back for how good we are. We like to stand above everyone else knowing that they could never be as good as we are. If you are a follower of Christ, I invite you to spend a day or two searching your heart. Why do you do the things you do? Why do you study your Bible? Why do you give a tithe or offering? Why do you refrain from doing certain things? Is it out of love? Or is it for your own glory?

What is truly amazing is what God does with these puzzles pieces when they are given freely to Him. God designed us not only individually, but He designed us to work together to honor Him and proclaim the truth of Christ to the world. The apostle Paul writes in two different letters how the Body of Christ, or the church, is made up of many parts. Each part has a different job, but all are important. Some may seem more important to us, but to God none can be left off. He has a purpose for your life, a place for you. It's your choice to either follow Him or strike out on your own. Whatever your choice is, it has eternal consequences. If you are already a follower of Christ, then you still have a daily, hourly, or even a minute by minute choice to follow Him or turn away. You will not lose your salvation, but who might see your actions and use them as an excuse?

These words are hard to write, mainly because I know the missteps in my own life. I can dredge up memories of failing to follow the path of Christ. There have been times I have set my cross down and wandered into places I had no business being in. If this is you, don't let guilt paralyze you. Look at Titus 3:4-7

4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. 

When Christ died for our sins, he died for all of them...past, present, and future. If, as a Christian, we find ourselves in sin then our immediate response should be to leave the sin and follow Christ. All too often, though, we find ourselves in a sinful state and though we leave, we decide to punish ourselves with guilt. We acknowledge that we were wrong, but we feel that God is mad at us because we messed up and we hide from Him. In verse seven, the word "heirs" is highlighted. God has adopted us as His children and made us heirs with Christ. As a father, my children have disobeyed me. But even in the midst of their mistakes, I still love them and want the best for them. If I have just punished my son for something he repeatedly does, He can still come to me and ask me for my advice. It would be ridiculous and cruel of me to look at him and say, "You disobeyed me today! Figure it out yourself...I don't want to talk to you right now!" Don't let guilt paralyze you. The principles found in a prayer for salvation work here too; think of it as renewing your vows. Admit your mistakes, believe that Christ can forgive you, and confess that Christ is Lord of your life.

I know that this post is rather lengthy. This topic has come up multiple times these past few weeks, from youth camp to Sunday School lessons. Surrender to God is not a one time thing, it is something we all struggle with on a daily basis. Below is a song by and R&B/Rap artist named Lecrae. I've included the lyrics so, hopefully, you will let this young man lead you to echo the same devotion.

Chorus:I could play the background
I could play the background
'Cause I know sometimes I get in the way
So won't You take the lead, lead, lead?
So won't You take the lead, lead, lead?
And I could play the background, background
And you could take the lead

Verse 1:It's evident You run the show, so let me back down
You take the leading role, and I'll play the background
I know I miss my cues, know I forget my lines
I'm sticking to Your script, and I'm reading all Your signs
I don't need my name in lights, I don't need a starring role
Why gain the whole wide world, If I'm just going lose my soul?
And my ways ain't purified, I don't live according to Your Word
I can't endure this life without Your wisdom being heard

So word to every dancer for a pop star
'Cause we all play the background, but mine's a rockstar
Yeah, so if you need me I'll be stage right
Praying the whole world would start embracing stage fright
So let me fall back, stop giving my suggestions
'Cause when I follow my obsessions, I end up confessin'
That I'm not that impressive, matter of factI'm who I are,

a trail of stardust leading to the superstar

Verse 2:Yo, I had a dream that I was captain of my soul
I was master of my fate, lost control, and then I sank
So I don't want to take the lead, 'cause I'm prone to make mistakes
All these folks who follow me, goin' end up in the wrong placeSo just let me shadow you, just let me trace your lines
Matter of fact, just take my pen, here, you create my rhymes
'Cause if I do this by myself, I'm scared that I'll succeed
And no longer trust in You, 'cause I only trust in me

And see, that's how you end up headed to destruction
Paving a road to nowhere, pour your life out for nothin'
You pulled my card, I'm bluffin', You know what's in my hand
Me, I just roll and trust you, You cause the dice to land
I'm in control of nothing, follow You at any cost
Some call it sovereign will, all I know is You the boss
And man, I'm so at ease, I'm so content
I'll play the background, like it's an instrument

Bridge:I know I'm safest when I'm in Your will, and trust Your Word
I know I'm dangerous when I trust myself, my vision blurred
And I ain't got no time to play life's foolish games
Got plenty aims, but do they really glorify Your name?
And it's a shame, the way I want to do these things for You, yeah
Don't even cling to You, take time to sit and glean from You
It seems like You were patient in my ignorance
If ignorance is bliss, it's 'cause she never heard of this