Change Begins with Truth

Surrender Brings Endurance

“Commit thy works unto the Lord and thy thoughts shall be established.”

Proverbs 16:3

 

All real change in life is lasting change, or it isn’t really change at all. Sometimes through the strength of the flesh, men have momentary zeal, or a burst of fiery loyalty, only to fizzle when their religious adrenaline wears out, and their old nature rises up. This permanent tension between the fire of the Spirit and the will of the flesh generally takes place on the battlefield of the mind. The Bible tells us in Proverbs 23:7 that as a man thinks, so is he. No wonder so many professing Christians still live in turmoil. With that constant battle, and ever present tension, how then can the changes intended by the Spirit of God defeat the rebellious nature of our flesh? That victory begins with surrender.

 

Note the promise given in Proverbs 16:3. “Commit thy works unto the Lord and thy thoughts shall be established.” In order to win the war over the flesh in the battlefield of the mind, we must surrender our will and our works to the Lord. The word the writer uses for “Commit” is a word that generally means to “roll, roll away, or remove unto . . .” In this verse the implication is roll over all of your person, plans, and purposes to the Lord. Only then will our spiritual endurance be stronger than our sinful weakness.

 

You are a single minded creature. You cannot really serve God with your heart and mind, while you have another agenda in life. You become a divided person with a weakened spirit. Only once you have given over to God full control of your agenda, can you then begin to win the war in your mind. Once the Lord has your full surrender, then you will begin to truly enjoy lasting victory.