written by Richard N. Thomas / January 31, 2008
When applied to a personal walk with God, abandonment means a total relinquishing of my right to myself. The masses cry out for civil rights, women's rights, gay rights, the right to be obnoxious and call it freedom of expression.
Human beings spend their whole life desperately mastering the art of self-realization. Abandonment to God is an act of the will requiring deliberate, unreserved, relinquishment all rights to ourselves. The only right a child of God has is to be called a child of God. The right to be called a child of God came at a great price. [see John 1:12 ]
Once abandoned to God the Christian has no other master. We are no longer the master of our own fate. Our personal needs are no longer our concern. [see Matthew 6:33 ]
The life of Jesus Christ (who by the way is the intent of God for all humanity from the beginning) was marked by self-expenditure. The disciple is not above her/his master. The apostle Paul was not concerned for his personal needs. He recklessly abandoned, totally surrendered all to the God who called him to His own purpose. [see Romans 1:1 & 16 ]
In my opinion, the reason Christianity has moved so slowly for nearly 2000 years is failure to recognize Jesus Christ as sovereign. There are meetings for attitude adjustments. Healing services become three ring circuses. Modern Christian music is technically advanced yet theologically anemic. I fear the Church has entered the Laodicean era where Christ is pictured requesting entry into the Church.[see Revelation 3:14-22 ]
You will not hear the voice of God in the storm, the earthquake or the WWW. Oswald Chambers tells in "My Utmost for His Highest", that God speaks to us through our circumstances. The child of God obeying God will hear His voice all the time whether at work or play. The still small voice is heard when we walk in the light as He is in the light. [see 1 John 1:5-8]
Once you hear the word of God, then what? Take up your cross and follow Him. Don't look back. To look back is a sign that you long for something in your past. In Christ there is no future only an eternal present. In Christ there is no end. There is nothing in the past that can satisfy the child of God. Therefore, to look back once you decide to follow Jesus will make your life fruitless. [see Genesis 19:23-26]
Jesus Christ is not calling disciples to die but rather to live for Him. It is an easy thing to die. Living is hard. Living for Jesus requires daily sacrifices. Your cross could be a job that is not s glamorous. Living with a spouse that is abusive or lazy. Your cross could be attending a school where you are the only virgin. Taking up your cross does not mean strapping a bomb to your body to blow up a bus or marketplace full of women and children, jogging naked for breast cancer research or throwing yourself off a bridge.
[see Romans 12:1]
The cross is the symbol of giving and living. Giving, because "God so love the world..." that He trade His life for ours. Living, because He "...came to bring us abundant life."
[see John 10:10]
If we try to hold on to our life, we will lose it. If we give our life to Him we take advantage of a great trade.
[see Matthew 10:39]
Giving up our right to ourselves is a living sacrifice, our cross, our abandon.
[see Romans chapter 6 and Galatians 2:20]
"He traded His life for me,
He laid it down at Calvary,
He's the King of kings,
He's the Lord of lords,
And He traded His life for me.
