“I surrender all. I surrender all. All to thee my blessed savior; I surrender all.”
~J.W. Van Deventer, “I Surrender All”
If you’ll indulge me, particularly for those of you who are not
Christian (I’m aware that I have all kinds of faith orientations that read my
blog and, for that, I’m very
grateful), allow me to cut right to the chase and lift up a particular portion
of Christian scripture. From The Message translation, in Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus
asks:
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on
religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show
you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it.
Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting
on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Earlier
this week I promised you I would lift up lessons from my life in efforts to
bless yours. One of the Hebrew meanings for the word “bless” means to empower,
and that’s exactly why I created this blog…to bless or empower your life. In doing so, let me share with you a fundamental
lesson I’ve learned. Again, if I were teaching a course in Spirituality 101,
this would definitely be included. It’s the lesson of Surrender. In the contemporary words of Jesus, “Are you tired? Worn
out? Burned out on religion?” If so, this blog is the perfect place and space
for your weary soul.
In the text
above, Jesus eludes to a bigger life, a better life, a life of “real rest.” Meaning,
if you are tired it’s an indication that something is wrong. If you are worn out
or burned out, your life/GOD/the Universe is trying to tell you something. Jesus
instructs that we (and this is my favorite part!) “learn the unforced rhythms
of grace.” Yes Lord! Please hear these words, there is a rhythm to life. There
is a harmonious flow to abundance and peace. There’s an energy of divine life
that serves as the current of all things good.
I will actually use another post to explain the divine flow and interconnectivity of life both as a scientific fact and spiritual truth, but for now please know that if you swim against that current you will find your life in terrible disarray. Things just won’t seem to go right for you, you’ll be weary and worn, you’ll simply seem out of sync (ever felt that way???). However, if you get in the flow, you’ll find your passion, your purpose, your bliss, and a life where, in the words of the Psalmist, “you shall not want” (Psalm 23:1).
So, please take some time today or this upcoming week to simply evaluate and examine your life. Is it a mess? It’s June 1 and the year is half-over, and are you still having trouble finding your niche, your groove, or your flow? If so, don’t waste one more minute without it! As Jesus said, the rhythms of grace are “unforced.” Don’t fight your life, but rather participate in it. In later posts I’ll get more practical with some tips and techniques, but for now, start here: lift your hands and your heart and simply surrender to the divine flow; move to the rhythm of grace; dance to the beat of love; swim in the current of worthiness; find your bliss and follow it and never ever live inauthentically, because…..
This is not the end of your story. Your best days are not
behind you, they are ahead of you. Don’t fight life, surrender to the flow of
it because you have #bigthingscoming!
Surrendering all,
~Ray
NOTE: If you’re new to the site it might be helpful to read
my first introductory post. Also, feel free to post your questions or comments
here and you can always reach out to me on Twitter @raycjordan using the hash
tag #bigthingscoming.
(Copyright, 2013, Ray Jordan)
(Copyright, 2013, Ray Jordan)
Professor Jordan
ReplyDeleteHow? How will you know if you are going with the flow?????
If you are in touch with yourself, you will be able to feel it. Meaning, you will be led by an inner feeling. When things are particularly tough, out of order, and hectic, you're not going with the flow. So, search for those things and places that make you feel most alive and like "yourself." Find that sweet spot that makes you feel at home or totally natural. Often times it's very individual as you take a look at each area of your life. Take it situation by situation and ask yourself if you feel in sync and at peace, if not, ask yourself why not and what could you do to make it better.
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