“Whatever stands in the way of the complete and full surrender, we must search it out and remove it. If a bad relationship is a hinderance, one must clean it up. In other words, whatever roadblocks appear, the individual must remove them. The yielding of the nerve center of one’s consent is a private, personal act in which the human being, as sovereign, say Yes.”
Howard Thurman Disciplines of the Spirit p. 19
Mark 9:43-48
43 If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. 45 And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and to be thrown into hell., 47 And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into hell, 48 where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched.
What is causing you to stumble?
What is holding you back?
What is in your way?
What must you let go of, get rid of or dismiss so that you can live your vision for your life?
In life we collect people, relationships, habits, even jobs that get in the way of what we really want to do. Yes, I said what we really want to do. God expresses God’s will for our lives through that which we desire. God actually gives you the desire to desire. God puts desire in your heart for those things God has prepared for you and prepared you for.
That thing you want to do is from God. That thing you were created to do and yearn to do is from God. When we let things get in the way of what God has for us we are living a life beneath that which God has prepared for us. We acquiesce to a life that is satisfying others and not God or ourselves. We have to have he courage to dismiss those things which are holding us back. It may feel like we have cut our hand or foot off but if need be do so. It may mean quitting a job, ending a relationship or walking away from somewhere you have lived literally or figuratively but you must walk away.
As Thurman says, “…we must remove them.” What is it you must remove? It is going to be painful and you are going to be misunderstood by some for the decisions you make but you have the sovereignty to make these decisions. In making these decisions your are saying yes to God, your dreams and God given desires.
You have to surrender to you and that which you want to do. We think we need to feel some rush of the Spirit to know that which God is calling us to and I would argue God speaks to your hearts and minds via that which we desire. Simply be honest with yourself about what you want because “that want” is God speaking to you. Be honest with yourself about what you want. Take an inventory of your life and get rid of that which is hindering you, getting in your way and remove it so that you can live your YES!
Blessings,
Ralph Basui Watkins
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