Have you ever started a diet and quit three days later? Many of us have been there in that frustrated zone. The diet begins with excitement but the honeymoon quickly ends when real life challenges walk through the door. The problem is not the diet but with the person. Dieters struggle when they do not totally surrender to the program of choosing healthy meals, exercising, and learning how to deal with hunger.
Many of us are aware of God’s program for salvation but we struggle because we think what we already have is better than what God has to offer. So, before submitting to God’s healthy program of the abundant life, we revert to our old ways. Besides, our way is comfortable, unchallenging, and does not require any accountability.
Today, I share with you the three stages of surrender that will help you discover where you are and imbue you to make a decision to accept God’s healthy abundant life program.
Stage 1 – AWARENESS
John 3:16 has been a part of your life since childhood. In case you have not heard of John 3:16, here it is:
“For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] [a]only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
What this means is that when you accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, you are saved. Then, when your earthly body leaves this earth, your spiritual body will be alive with Christ Jesus.
Stage 2 – DECISION
The decision stage is the toughest stage because you have some options. Here are your options.
Option 1 – Decision of Total Rejection
The decision of total rejection means you totally reject salvation. You do not believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. You simply reject God. You reject the healthy diet program.
Option 2 – Decision of Indecisiveness
The decision of indecisiveness means you are totally aware that Jesus Christ is the Son of God but you’re too in love with your way to choose God’s way but you have enough sense not to totally reject God. You are lukewarm; neither hot nor cold. You have an appreciation of God but not a dedication to God. You are aware of him but you do not love him enough to forsake your way and follow him. God’s healthy abundant life program is good but the meals of his daily word, exercising his principles to change your ways, and dealing with the hunger of temptation is just too much to deal with. So, you’re on and off with God like a toggle switch.
Option 3 – Decision of Total Surrender
The decision of total surrender is when you know that your way is a poor diet for your spiritual development. This is when you totally depend on God’s strength to bring you through time and time again because he has a healthy program filled with spiritual fruit, wisdom and spiritual insights that will enable you to follow his healthy abundant life program, which is fail proof.
“Taste and see that the Lord is God. How blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who takes refuge in Him.” Psalm 34:8
LET’S TOTALLY SURRENDER
Dear God,
Every worldly diet plan that I’ve tried has been a spiritual failure and a physical disaster.
Forgive me for being ignorant of who you are.
Forgive me for wavering with my faith.
Today, I accept Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior. I forsake my way and choose your healthy abundant life program that’s filled with spiritual truths, insights, wisdom, and fruit of the Spirit that will nourish me daily.
"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." Galatians 2:20
In the name of Jesus, I pray, amen.
~inspiring hope and seasoning faith
Dr. Regina M. Daigre
P.S: The Gift of Salvation
Click HERE to learn more about the gift of salvation or copy and paste this link in a web browser: http://www.highhopeschurch.org/salvation