We Belong To...

Whose are we?

We often live and operate with the implicit assumption that we belong to ourselves. Our time, our emotions, our entitlement to feeling fulfilled or pursuing our passions...we cling to these rights. We may acknowledge that God wants all of us, but we want to keep something back.

Why?

Is this hesitancy to surrender to God perhaps due to our desire to cling to autonomy, security, and safety? In surrender, we give up the right to choose based solely on our own desires, and this can be a terrifying thought.

But let’s reflect on this...

If we claim to believe in the God who formed, who created both the world we live in, as well as our very being and identity, and if we profess that He is good, are we not contradicting our very reasons for autonomy?

We were created to be in a life-giving relationship with God. But when we try to separate ourselves, and to protect some of what we see as “ourselves”—that portion of ourselves we don’t want God to mess with—aren’t we also claiming that God is either not fully good or not fully knowledgeable and powerful? We are claiming that we (part of his own creation, who have been given our faculties by Him) can ultimately care for ourselves better than the One who knit us together, and knows every thought of ours. This makes no sense, and though we are called to use those faculties and abilities to work, we ultimately look to Him for care.

And to expand on this: Is, perhaps, this autonomy we hold to so tightly perhaps ultimately a grand illusion? Like God’s Lordship (He is Lord whether or not we acknowledge Him as such!), isn’t our dependence on God the truth whether or not we acknowledge it as true? If so (and it surely seems to be the case when we follow our professed beliefs to their reasonable conclusions), then we must admit that we are dependent on God for all things whether or not we want to admit it. And it is a hard reality to accept, because it is sometimes hard to trust God even when we give mental assent to these truths.

Trust in God’s goodness—it seems so simple and elemental, but it can be so difficult. But remember that God has already provided us with profound evidence of His trustworthiness, among which are such convictions as His creation of all, and Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection. He is good (for why else would Jesus die for love of the world?) and He is able (for how else could Jesus have risen?).

Let us acknowledge that we are His, and lean on this good and able God!