“The essence of spirituality is contained in this phrase: complete and utter abandonment to the will of God.” Jean-Pierre De Caussade
Can I be honest with you today? I’m not there yet. I want to be. I REALLY desire to be there. But I’m not there yet.
What’s standing in my way? In a word: Fear
What’s keeping you from complete and utter abandonment?
Pride
Doubt
All of the above and the lies of the enemy which sometimes I choose to believe and other times they creep into my spirit without me realising until the damage has been done.
.-= ransom33´s last blog ..How to combat the spirit of discouragement =-.
Fear of the unknown.
.-= sherri´s last blog ..SHAMELESS PROMOTER OF SELF PROMOTION DAY! =-.
Me. My wants, desires, fear, selfishness, pride, and fear. It all is the way of my complete and utter abandonment.
.-= Lindsey Nobles´s last blog ..Not My Finest Moment =-.
Control. I know I don’t have control, but if I abandon everything for God, I have to give up that thought… and it’s not easy for a control freak.
.-= diane´s last blog ..Labor Day Weekend =-.
I totally feel ya on this one bro! That’s something that gets me all the time! I know how awesome God is and that he’ll always be there for me. I know this because when I look back at my life I see how he’s constantly stepped in when the situation was too much for me to handle. So I’ve seen what he can do and I’ve experienced his power so why is it so hard to trust him?
Doubt? Fear? Afraid of Failure?
The list could go on!
But I heard Perry Noble say one time “Fear makes a leader think more about what he has to lose than what the Kingdom has to gain”.
We just have to have a Kingdom mindset constantly and realize that if God has called us to do something he’s equipped us to do it! We just have to get the guts to trust him and go for it!
.-= T. Rousey´s last blog ..House Of Grace Recap!! =-.
@T. Rousey, Dang, you kicked me in the teeth with that quote. “Fear makes a leader think more about what he has to lose than what the Kingdom has to gain”.
It’s fear for me… not sure why I doubt or have fear…HE has never failed to keep His promises and show me how awesome He is in every circumstance… great question Pete… get’s me thinking…
Pete, I love watching what God is doing with your life. I wonder if you are more abandoned than you think, but fear remains as a reminder of your need for total dependence.
God is using you and Crosspoint.
Ron Edmondson
.-= Ron Edmondson´s last blog ..10 Things I Would Do Differently If I CouldDo Life Over Again =-.
Selfishness
Unbelief.
Why does my mind have to be able to wrap around something, try to understand it before I’ll believe God’s leading in it? I ask myself, “Can I trust the heart of Christ for this?”
Too often, I don’t really like the answer I come up. It’s not grounded in Truth–I know it’s a reflection of my lack of faith in His will for my life…and after all these years of walking with Him…it’s still there too often.
.-= Tina Dee´s last blog ..Giveaway & Interview ~ Author Susan Page Davis =-.
my first instinct is to say lack of action on my part… but the thing I’m struggling with the most right now is that I’m FINALLY getting to a place where I realize that it’s got to be LESS of me and MORE of Him. so it would be less action on my part and more action of Him. is that right?!
so I guess I’m the one thing that’s standing in the way?!
.-= Linnae Hoppe´s last blog ..Rochester,MN =-.
fear… which is ridiculous. Because when I dig down I realize that fear/no fear God is running the show regardless. Why can’t I just get that through my head every single minute of the day???
.-= joyce´s last blog ..The post in which we act just like the annoying paparazzi =-.
This is my fav quote from the book, When the Heart Waits. I haven’t finsihed the book yet, but LOVE that quote! It really makes it seem so simple yet makes me realize that I’m not there yet.
Mine are fear of failure and fear of surrender.
.-= Megan´s last blog ..Pray for Sergio =-.
Me!!!
.-= Trevor DeVage´s last blog ..WHAT’S YOUR DREAM? =-.
1. Fear of Abandonment {my own surrender & His getting fed up with me and calling it quits}
2. Lack of Trust
The idea that in some way I need to do something or be something on my own, in my own might. My problem lies in the abandonment…being willing to let go of all my illusions and wants. To surrender completely to His Grace and Will. It is difficult for me to wrap my mind around the fact that He is ok with me right here, right now, just as I am. Trusting Him to do the rest.
“I do not at all understand the mystery of grace – only that it meets us where we are but does not leave us where it found us.” -Anne Lamott
.-= Jessica´s last blog ..Processing & Praying =-.
Not fear but more of what does it mean and how do I do it? Just being honest.
.-= bill (cycleguy)´s last blog ..Assurance =-.
For a long time it was fear of a loss of control over my life. I’ve since come to the realization that control is an illusion, so I let go. Or at least, I think I have. I still sin. I am so very susceptible to pride, I have to watch myself constantly over it.
.-= Evan Weeks´s last blog ..Quick Personal Update =-.
I spend
more time Doing things
to get there….
Than believing I Can Be There.
April
The American “dream.” Other people’s opinions & approval. Fear. Doubt. Disobedience. Lack of faith.Lack of trust.
Everything, but God.
I would echo fear.
fear that I’m not in control, fear of the unknown, fear that I might end up somewhere I don’t necessarily want to go, fear that I won’t make it or meet up to HIS standards.
.-= Denny´s last blog ..Where did you come from, where will you go? =-.
going through some of this now. I know the calling He has placed on my life and I know that He has been faithful in everything even when I didn’t realize it. Yet, it scares me because I know I am so inadequate in so many areas and it will only be through Him that anything is accomplished and it requires such a different mindset from what we are taught our whole life about being self-reliant.
I’ll echo some of the others and say:
PRIDE, SELFISHNESS, ARROGANCE…
in a word: ME!
.-= Robin´s last blog ..20 Things I Learned From Mama =-.
truly….trying to figure out the difference between ‘surrender’ and quitting….maybe if i get that…..???
no…it’s probably fear….
.-= becky´s last blog ..Ezekiel 42 – 44; Revelation 22 =-.
To be honest, what’s stopping me is the pain from the avalanche of Plan B’s in the last few years. That’s lead to fear that the next time I step out I’m going to get creamed again. I know I should just suck it up and move on but it’s easier said than done.
.-= Jason´s last blog ..Pete Wilson is kicking my spiritual butt =-.
Fear…that i might be wrong. :/
.-= Lynse Leanne´s last blog ..HAHAHAHAHA!!! =-.
Yep… fear.
.-= Barry Wallace´s last blog ..The Potentially Damning Danger of Theology (or, Why I’m Thankful for Packer’s “Knowing God”) =-.
Lack of discipline. I simply forget until something is out of the ordinary – good or bad.
I don’t know that any of us can really attain this level while here on earth. I don’t think that human nature will allow it. There are days where I look forward to my time with God in eternity – where this peace will be constant and complete surrender to God will be a natural and constant state of being.
Fear… but that comes from Pride. I can’t say it better than this sister did
http://www.incourage.me/2009/08/only-the-lowly.html
I’m learning that if God is given glory through me being a fool, then I will gladly play the fool and lay down my pride.
.-= V. Higgins´s last blog ..Ignoring the Thirst =-.
Debt.
I am not free to follow God’s will because I can’t afford to.
AA talks about “reservsations” in Step 6, which talks about being “entirely ready for God to remove these defects of character.”
I struggle with reservations about turning everything over to God
.-= jody´s last blog ..Too tired =-.
@Art, Wow! So true for so many. Thanks for your honesty.
Recently Josh and I had to really decide how obedient we wanted to be. God clearly called Josh to quit his full-time job that paid 6 figures. God wanted us to go fulltime for Him. Now to human wisdom it was crazy! Our church is very small and in now way can it support a family of five for even one week out of a month, but we knew we had to follow. (I cried for a week!)
But I can testify that since being obedient in that area God has done so much, not only has He met all our financial needs, but it opened some sort of door in our hearts that has let Him sort out all sorts of other things. Now in no way am I completely abandoned, but all we can do is take one step of obedience at a time. One yes each day, hour, moment. He is so trustworthy!
You are a blessing. I am really enjoying reading your blog.
What keeps me from utter abandonment?
A will that wants to do good and a will with bad habits of letting sin slip by…unnoticed.
My mind is truly divided sometimes.
.-= Jules´s last blog ..Double Minded =-.
Lazy
.-= Randy Wood´s last blog ..Context, Concept and perception =-.
Let’s be honest. Is there really anyone on the planet that places complete dependence on God all the time? We are human so we tend to let the things right in front of us get in the way most of the time and I think that’s ok. As long as complete abandon is what we strive for and constantly try to make progress on our spiritual life, I think we are probably in pretty good shape. For me its a lifelong journey to become the man God wants me to be and when I finally arrive, the journey is over. So as long as I’m alive there will always be constant progress toward complete abandon! I tried to put complete dependence on God for an entire day once and frankly it was exhausting! Progress not perfection my man!
@Marleen-ladylighthouse, I know that’s a big step for you guys. Keeping you in my prayers.
two words:
control freak
.-= *~Michelle~*´s last blog ..Top Ten Thursday =-.
Fear is the biggest thing for me, too. My fear most often comes as feelings of inadequacy or fear of the responsibility that comes with success. I typed a little example and when I read it over all I could see was “Tarshish”. Now that you brought it to my attention I have to do something about it. Why in the WORLD can’t I just get on the boat and go where God is telling me to go? I keep trying to pacify Him and calm the call with smaller measures of obedience. Ugh.
.-= Anita´s last blog ..My Shortfalls in Compliance =-.
Selfishness
.-= Tracy´s last blog ..The myth of having it all together =-.
Commitment issues! Commitment to doing right…commitment to reading his word…commitment to following his will, etc.
Fear. Fear of rejection, being left behind, ignored, invisible. Basically, the fear of getting my heart broken.
.-= Michelle´s last blog ..Courage and Cowardice =-.
Doubt. Everyone thinks that if you’re in fulltime ministry that you somehow evade doubt. Not so.
I work in a nonprofit para-church organization where I see God do HUGE things to make provision for us, and yet I doubt him constantly. I’ve seen him bring a truckload of chicken right when we had no meat left to feed the 150 men in our shelter. I’ve seen him drop off a huge check at the last minute to make payroll that we thought wouldn’t be met. I see this stuff all the time. And yet I doubt.
Oh ME of little faith…
Complete and utter abandonment to the will of God has it birthplace in being in complete and utter love with God.
I like to think of myself trying to live eyeball to eyeball with God. I staring in His face and He into mine. That is the mental imagine I use to try to keep my focus on the only thing that is important. (Notice I said try)
Since coming up with that notion of being locked in His gaze if you will, it has helped me realize the only thing that is important. If He moves to the right, I have to move to the right to maintain that closeness with Him. All of a sudden where you are and what you are doing become second to keeping that closeness.
Again, still not there yet but it is amazing how thinking about it that way has changed a lot about me.
.-= Harold´s last blog ..Isaias Gabriel – Making The Difference in the DR =-.
Fear… of the unknown, of what I think He’s saying to me, of what I think He wants me to do, and of finding out that what I think He wants me to do is just my own selfish desires trying to manifest themselves into a message from God. I have so much riding on any major decision I make, I can’t make a complete and utter change in my life for something that turns out to be worthless.
@Harold, really well said bro!
Pride. The need for Control. Selfishness.
Knowing that complete abandonment is giving up myself. The stupid thing about it, is that I desperately want to… but just WON’T. Not can’t. WON’T.
.-= Jen´s last blog ..Death in the Family =-.
A few years back I convinced some friends to invest in a business idea with me. They put money in and I run the company. Jump to present time and I KNOW I belong in the full time service of the King, yet I don’t know how to tell them I am being called away from the now thriving business I’ve built. I’m working hard to build an exit strategy that’s profitable for my partners, but will feel trapped until that happens.
Sin.
.-= Vanity of Vanities´s last blog ..Re-Knitting =-.
honestly…i just really don’t know how.
.-= sheryl´s last blog ..God’s Promises =-.
Fear.
.-= Brunettekoala´s last blog ..Flower of Scotland Friday: The Lamplighter =-.
I love this post. I read a book called Dangerous Wonder by Michael Yaconneli. In it he talks about “walking in dangerous proximity to Christ.” That is probably one of my husband’s favorite quotes from the book. I want to walk so closely to Christ, that He rubs off on me. I want to live with utter abandonment. I want to walk in dangerous proximity to Him. I don’t want to be apprehensive or timid in my faith. I want to live boldly for Him. There are a couple of things that get in my way. FEAR. (You nailed it with this one.) The other is control. I want to know, see, understand…when I don’t, then fear comes into play. Which ultimately, it all boild back down to self-centered fear anyway. I can’t imagine what this world would be like if we lived with utter abandon for Christ.
.-= Chrystie´s last blog ..The Other Side =-.
Lyrics for a song we began rehearsing in church choir last night (I thought it was apropos):
Transfigure us, O Lord
Transfigure us, O Lord
Break the chains that bind us,
Speak your healing word,
And where you lead we’ll follow,
Transfigure us, O Lord.
MP3 here if you want to hear it. It’s really a beautiful song! http://www.franciscanradio.org/MP3Files/Retreats/Lent/B102_MU.mp3
.-= Jan C.´s last blog ..Another Year Bites the Dust =-.
distrust
.-= Julie´s last blog ..The A Team vs The B Team =-.