Those early moments shaped me, but they were only the beginning. Faith is about a personal relationship with Jesus, and that means we have to surrender to Him.
Every day that we wake up, God blesses us with His grace. Surrender begins by recognizing that our whole life belongs to Jesus. It’s not a one-time act but a daily offering.
I think about my relationship with God in the same way I think about my relationship with my family. I’ve spent enough time with them to know their character, their emotions—to truly and deeply know them. It’s the same with God. The more time we spend with Him, the more we know His character and the more we see that He is worthy of all we have to give.
On a daily basis, I do my best to give everything I have to God. Whatever I am doing that day, I need to put in His hands. It’s not enough to surrender Monday’s training session to Him and fail to surrender training on Tuesday. We must bring what God has given us to the altar again and again and again.
In my journey of faith, I have learned that God is a much better driver than I am. Surrender means I have to take my hands off the steering wheel and trust His directions.
In 2020, I was named the captain of the Columbus Crew. Shortly after I took over this role, something happened in training. In my response, instead of acting like Jesus, I acted in my own strength. When words were said that I didn’t like or approve of, I reacted in anger instead of self-discipline and composure.
In the aftermath, I wasn’t pleased with myself. I had tried to put myself in the driver’s seat instead of following the way of Jesus. I had to take time to reflect: was I doing this for me or was I doing it for God?
As Christians, we must remember that everything we do, big or small, we do unto God.
Every day that I wake up, I begin with this posture of surrender: “Lord, You lead the way. Whatever I do today, it’s in Your hands.”
Whatever you do today, do it for God’s glory.
Challenge
Have you surrendered your life completely to Jesus?
In what areas of your life may you be trying to hold on to the steering wheel instead of trusting God’s direction?
Prayer
“Father, thank you for blessing us with your grace every day. Lord, I surrender my life to you. I am taking my hands off the wheel and letting you drive. Help me to trust You as I live for Your glory. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Who We Are
If you’re wondering what it really means to belong to Jesus—to know Him personally and experience the love and purpose Jonathan is talking about—we here at Athletes in Action would love to help you take that next step. Click here to begin your journey of discovering who Jesus is and how you can have a relationship with Him.