One of the really great things about Christianity is that God does not force us to do anything. God invites us and waits for willing hearts to follow his leading.

How is your heart doing?
Are you willinghearted?

I’d like to say yes. I desire to say yes. But when I read these words of Jesus I am left wondering:

Simply put, if you’re not willing to take what is dearest to you, whether plans or people, and kiss it good-bye, you can’t be my disciple. (Luke 14:33, MSG,*)

Am I wholeheartedly willing to give up all that is dear to me and surrender them to Jesus? My precious plans and dreams, my precious family, my health and wealth, even my life?

I still want to say yes. I desire to be willinghearted. Lord, make it so!

Charles G. Finney has said: “Repentance is a change of willing, of feeling and of living, in respect to God.”
We are indeed called to repent anything and everything that hinders us from surrendering absolutely everything to God. Until we are ready to kiss good-bye everything that is dearest to us, we are not quite following Christ. Lord, have mercy!

Is it even possible to do so?
Only by the grace of God.

The first step is to ask the Holy Spirit to show us what needs to be done. When we prayerfully meditate on this, God will show us his will. Becoming Christ-like is a life-long journey. But our direction needs to be clear.

Do we line up ourselves with Jesus or ourselves? Do we let go of our ways? Do we resist dieing to ourselves? Or do we surrender and let God create something amazingly wonderful of us?

When we willingly allow God to mold ourselves to anything he wants, we are true disciples. When we willingly die for worldly pursuits, we are true followers of Christ. When we willingly trust God with everything we are and everything we have, we are true lovers of God. Lord, make it so!

Let us pray with the words of Blaise Pascal:
I ask You neither for health nor for sickness,
for life nor for death….
Give to me,
or take away from me,
only conform my will to Yours.
I know but one thing,
Lord, that it is good to follow You,
and bad to offend You.
Apart from that,
I know not what is good or bad in anything.
I know not which is most profitable to me,
health or sickness, wealth or poverty….
That discernment is beyond the power of men…
and is hidden among the secrets of Your providence —
which I adore,
but do not seek to fathom.
Amen.

Q4U: Are you willinghearted? What is the hardest thing for you to surrender to God?

Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim, as you repent everything that hinders you from totally surrendering to God!

* [As you might have noticed, I enjoy reading the Bible in different translations and love comparing them. I have started linking the Bible verses to Biblegateway.com so you can easily read (and compare) them in the different versions I’ve used while preparing each post.]

Image courtesy of Travis Silva, design by Mari-Anna Stålnacke. Linking up today with Faith-filled Fridays, Five Minute Friday and Faith Jam.