Winning by Quitting
“Winners never quit, and quitters never win” has always been my mantra. “Surrender” has never been part of my vocabulary. Quitting and surrendering is for the weak and for losers, and my momma told me she didn’t raise no loser.
I have thoroughly enjoyed the fellowship and discussion from our Grace Church small group Wednesday night Bible study of Mark and our Friday morning men’s Bible study of Romans. While these two Bible studies involve different groups and different books of the Bible, the themes and discussions seem to be intersecting. Have you ever felt like God is trying to send you a message?
In Mark, after Peter rebuked Jesus for saying that he would soon be killed, Jesus told his Disciples, “if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whosoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.” (Mark 8: 34-35). Later, Jesus tells his Disciples after his encounter with the young, rich ruler, who obeys all of the commandments of but refuses to give up his earthly possessions to follow Jesus, “But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.” (Mark 10:31). In our men’s Bible study, we have been studying Paul’s epistle to the church(es) in Rome, where Paul says, “You have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God.” (Romans 6:22). Paul later boldy instructs, “present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” (Romans 12:1).
From these passages in Mark and Romans, the message is clear: We must surrender everything to God; we must lose our life for his sake; and we must present ourselves as a living sacrifice. If we are on the sacrificial altar, we are unable to hold anything back for ourselves, and we must make ourselves completely vulnerable to his will. We have to surrender—and surrender everything. We have to quit. We have to quit acting as if we have all the answers. We must quit acting as if we can do it on our own. We must quit trying to earn it. We have to be slaves to God and give everything to him. Everything. We have to surrender ever sin, every good deed, every accomplishment, and every anxiety or worry. Once we surrender and quit trying to do it on our own, we become like clay in the Potter’s hand—for him to mold us and make us. We are in his hands. (Jeremiah 18:4-6). What more assurance can we ask for? Where can we find greater peace?
God does not demand a perfect heart—only a heart that surrenders everything to him.
“All to Jesus I surrender. Lord, I give myself to Thee; Fill me with Thy love and power, Let Thy blessings fall on me. I surrender all, I surrender all; All to Thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender all.”
Carter