Submit, Not Quit

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. –Romans 12:1-2 NIV

No one can tell you what to think. Though a million of the world’s voices bombard you with options—planting seeds and creating images—only you decide what takes up residence within the boundaries of your mind. An average adult makes 35,000 decisions in a day. If one of the decisions you made was to accept Christ as your Savior, would it make sense that this one decision should affect all the rest? The world entices you to cling tightly to the idea of free will. “Do what makes you happy. Believe what you want to believe. You do you. Live the life you love.” Fanning the flames of desire for independence from God, the world proves its inability to understand that true freedom for believers can only be experienced by submitting to God. A successful young athlete lost his starting position on his team. The world assumed he’d be self-serving, leaving his school to go where he’d again be a star player. However, this young follower of Christ chose differently. He stayed, setting aside any selfish ambition and trusting God’s will. Months later, he had an opportunity to lead his team to victory. He won because he chose to submit rather than to quit. Let us not be known as people who quit when life gets hard. Instead, let us be known as people who persevere under pressure, submitting to God’s help and His will for our lives!