God “claims all because he is love and must bless. He cannot bless us unless he has us. When we try to keep within us an area that is our own, we try to keep an area of death. Therefore, in love, he claims all. There’s no bargaining with him.”
C.S. Lewis’ Last Sermon,
“A Slip of the Tongue”
Did you get that? I mean, did you understand the quote? Think about it. Our greatest struggle is to surrender, to submit, to give up the control of our lives. It is a fight at times. Many would say that these past two years have all been about con- trol. A virus, a mask, the narrative, the government. Many will say that our lives have been curtailed and redirected, but have they? To some degree they have because in most cases what was curtailed were our plans and, to some extent, our aspirations. But was God not in control? Were His plans curtailed? Were His aspirations for us derailed? I think not. The real question is, “did we step into His narrative and, thus, see His aspirations for us fulfilled. Did we see His Kingdom opportunities in front of us each day?” They were there and they are still there because we serve a God who loves us and who longs to invite us into His story.
I have a friend who chose a long time ago to step into God’s narrative in a place where disease and famine and persecution are the daily norm. He did not cower from the constant onslaught of violence that was directed toward him and his family. Instead, he chose to surrender and to see the beauty of God’s magnificent plan unfold before him and He has seen the transforming power of God’s love for a people group that most would walk away from. In giving up control, he has found blessing.
It does not come in the form of great wealth or prosperity, but it is sufficient, and it is enough because in giving up control he has discovered that Jesus is worth it.
God “cannot bless us unless He has us.” The real question is: “Does He, have you?”
