Seth Barnes is the executive director of Adventures in Missions. Our squad (#wolfpack) is currently reading his book, Kingdom Journeys. I wanted to share my thoughts on chapters seven and eight, which talks about abandonment, brokenness and surrender.
Abandonment
Unfortunately, I think we go in and out of stages of abandoning our lives to God, depending on where we are in life. During the times of truly giving our whole self to Christ, we always come out way ahead. Sometimes it is not pretty for a while after we give up control. Maybe cutting ties with close friends who turned out to be a bad influence, or being turned down for a job or internship that you really wanted. But after a while, God seems to give us clarity and we realize that He saved us from that relationship or that work environment. Ultimately, we realize that God really is in control. And like a parent he lets us fail until we realize we need Him.
Brokenness
We are all broken. But sometimes it takes a while for our brokenness to come to an actual breaking point. Seth explains that “We desperately need to exhaust our personal resources. We need to declare bankruptcy, falling on our knees in dependence on our Lord, who is waiting to be more than a last resort.” Despite the fact that we are born broken, I think it is necessary for us to come to that realization with events in our life. Usually we hide it, or continue life with the burden of keeping it to ourselves or not facing it. Sharing our personal brokenness with others is absolutely necessary. While God is our ultimate rock, we need the help of others to lift each other up and help grow one another. It is good to be at a point in our lives where we have nowhere else to turn, except into the arms of our Heavenly Father. Only then, can we start the rebuilding process of dependence in him.
Surrender
We will never be perfect in every situation. Sometimes we will push right through the roadblocks of life, and other times, we will crash right into them and call out for help. The book describes a woman named Ruth who had a sickness and was struggling greatly while hiking up a mountain. “Ruth was about to give up when she heard God whisper in her spirit, “Just put one foot in front of the other, but don’t look up.” She made it up and down the mountain, and was able to apply her experience to other parts of her life. There are so many situations where a person should just give it to the Lord. Do not be afraid to go before the King. He does not care if you think your problems are to small, to big or to outrageous. Once you surrender, remember to embrace the change that comes with it.
Matthew 28
Michael Rojewski
