Then there’s the age-old yield sign. It means to stop, if necessary, and give way to cross traffic. Some drivers seem to be confused by it and always stop, others run right through it without so much as a glance to the left and right. Still others approach the intersection slowly, and if clear, proceed on their way, arriving safely at
their destination. However, failure to yield to traffic, and to obey signs like the ones I mentioned, can result in catastrophic consequences.

Life is the same way. If I make decisions based solely from my intelligence, perspective, feelings, and what I see as best, I am on the road to catastrophe. I may think I am intelligent and wise enough to see the big picture and all the angles so as to avoid relational, familial, and spiritual collisions, but I am not GOD. If I choose to live life by worldly road signs rather than by yielding to the will of my wise, omnipotent, sovereign King, I will end up crashing and burning in life just like I would in a car by ignoring road signs.

After Christ fed five thousand people from a boy’s lunch, he told the throng following him that he came, not to do his will, but the will of the One who sent him. When Jesus was tempted in the desert by Satan, he rested fully on the Word of his Father and did not yield. In preparation for his mind-boggling act of love on the cross, the apostle Paul tells us about Christ’s kenosis – his emptying himself of all his prerogatives as Deity to be found in fashion as a man, even to the point of death on a cross, a humiliating death reserved for criminals and those considered as the dregs of society. Even though Jesus was blameless, and he had the power to overcome all of his earthly circumstances, he yielded fully to his Father’s will and died for us.

How do we as men, as clay pots with all our imperfections, then, yield to our Father’s will as Christ did? During the course of every hour of our lives we take every thought captive to Christ. We daily put on the full armor of God so we can stand firm against Satan’s schemes. We understand and trust that none of the temptations we face are uncommon to us, and that God always provides the way of escape. We resist the devil and he flees from us. We learn to be content in whatever circumstances we find ourselves. And, we trust in the LORD with all our hearts, refusing to lean on our own understanding of things.

What’s the point of yielding? For Christ, he received his Father’s reward and favor. God has seated him at His right hand in heaven for all eternity. For us, yielding our hearts and minds daily to the will of God sanctifies us, renews our minds, gives us hearts of flesh rather than stone, and gives us a joyful, abundant life. Ultimately, God will reward us with glorification, whereby we are removed forever from the presence of sin. We will see Christ as he really is, and, our bodies will become like his body: perfect.

Until that day, brothers, let us be like Paul, who counted all things as loss, as rubbish, for the surpassing value of knowing Christ. We owe it to ourselves, to each other, and most of all, to the One who died for us.

Allow me to back up in that story. I don’t know about you, but if I had just finished a massive argument with a bunch of hypocritical, religious tyrants ending with intent to kill me, the first thing on my mind would not be to strike up conversation with a total stranger about the healing power of God. Yet this is exactly
what Jesus did. He remained true to His mission, keeping perfect perspective, never missing an opportunity.

So why do we so easily get distracted and sidetracked, wandering away from the place we know God wants us? Asking myself this question, I realize I get wrapped up in everyday junk. Too often I find I’ve been simmering all day (or longer) in unprocessed irritation, unable to quickly put my finger on the source. Fact is I’ve let too much time pass without identifying and dealing with my anger. Often the result is taking my frustration out on someone that had nothing to do with it. I can tell you I’m guilty of coming home and snapping at my wife or being disengaged with my kids, when it was something from work—unidentified—I brought through the door to my home like a Trojan horse.

This got me thinking about what practical step I could take. Something simple. Maybe a checkpoint question I could ask myself to quickly identify issues and avoid sinking into yet another disconnected spell.  So I came up with “WAIT” for “Why am I tense?” The idea is this: As soon as I am hit with something that is upsetting, take a brief moment, ask myself this question, and identify the source.

This year’s ATG theme is “Total Surrender,” and as I continue to give Christ full access to my heart, striving for 100% surrender, He is always faithful in uncovering new places for me to give to Him. This is just one area God’s working on in me—perhaps you are able to relate. I encourage you as you go about your day to keep vigilant to the ways the Enemy can distract you from your mission.