Giving My Life to Christ

“I am all things to all men that I may win some.”

I was struck Sunday by how very intentional Paul was… how completely he sacrificed his own way of doing things, day after day after day, in order to connect with those around him.

The whole idea of sacrificing our way of living is one we have difficulty grasping. We tend, I think, to understand that we are sinners in need of a Savior. We get the concept of confessing sin and receiving forgiveness, of needing to make a clean break with wrongdoing, of committing to going to church and praying and reading the Word, etc.

But the idea of literally “giving our life to Christ” – have we thought that through? Do we realize that it means (or should mean) more than giving him our past to forgive, and our future to secure… it means giving the here and now, the rest of our days on earth. It means that when I wake up in the morning the day is not mine to plan and the agenda is not mine to set. It’s not my life anymore – it’s His. I’ve exchanged what was mine for eternal life with Him (a pretty good deal on my part!)

If I have truly given my life to Christ, then today is his day to do with as He wishes. And so is tomorrow and the next day; so is next year, and the next, because I’ve given my life to Him – it is not my own any more.

If we could get our minds around that, and commit our wills to that, how different daily life would be! How much more easily and willingly we could adjust ourselves, as Christ would, to those around us. How much more freely we could embrace change; how much more courageously we could face down our fears in the power of the Spirit.

I don’t think we can expect any kudos from the world for living this way, but it gets rave reviews from Christ. Because finally He gets our hands and our feet and our minds and our hearts and our days… as instruments through which He can work to win lost men and women to Himself.

All things to all people… nothing in ourselves. It sounds like foolishness to the world, like we’re throwing away our only chance to make something of ourselves. But to God it sounds like the wisest choice we can make, and He’ll make sure it’s worth our while.