It's time to give up!

     From time to time I read things from the Bible like I have never read them before.  I was recently reading one of Jesus' most famous sermons from Matthew chapter 5.  Jesus starts of his sermon with this statement:  "God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him."  I am so utterly shocked by this statement!  I ask myself if the American church has forgotten this verse was even in the Bible!  Has anyone told all of the prosperity gospel preachers about this one?  If you looked at the church in America would anyone realize that Jesus even made such a statement.  We teach the opposite.  We teach that God's blessings make us financially rich, that God wants us to have more!  But what if God wants us to have less.  Would anyone buy that book or watch a TV preacher talk about that message?  I don't have to surrender to the idea that God wants me to be rich.  I like that idea!  In fact, I love that idea!  Who wouldn't?   But it requires great surrender to follow someone who starts off there most famous sermon with "God blesses those who are poor."  Now before you think I am preaching that every true disciple of Christ needs to take a vow of poverty, I will admit that Jesus is talking about a character trait that goes much deeper than how much stuff we have or what our bank account balance is.  The danger with our wealth is that it numbs our awareness of our need for God.  That is what Jesus is preaching about our constant surrender to the fact of our overwhelming need for God!
     Jesus says next that "God blesses those who mourn."  Once again Jesus blesses something that we want nothing to do with.  Who wants to be poor?  I want to be rich.  Who wants to mourn?  I want to be happy.  In fact, we spend the majority of our life based around the illusive "pursuit of happiness."  Happiness is a moving target.  As soon as you think you have it, somehow it slips like sand through your fingers and you our off and running after it again.  God wants to give something that is much more secure than happiness.  He wants to give us joy.  He wants to give us peace.  But those things only come through this scary word that I keep saying:  SURRENDER  
     Jesus goes on to say that "God blesses those who are humble."  Now I could rant and rave about how our culture celebrates pride and not humility but I realize that humility by necessity must be a hidden gift.  If our culture constantly honored humility and humble people it would tempt humble people to lose the very character trait that we our celebrating.  Humility is a very difficult thing to shine a light on.  It is simple impossible to be proud of how humble you are.  Humility only comes through consistently surrendering to our need for God.  Humility is simply admitting that everything we have and everything we are is a gift from God.        
     Following God is most definitely not easy but it is obnoxiously simple!  Being a Christ follower is centered around one word: Surrender.  It isn't easy to give up our obsession with obtaining more possessions and instead pursue purpose.  It isn't easy to give up our obsession with happiness and instead desire holiness.  It isn't easy to give up success for significance, but yet it is simple.  It all involves surrender!