Twenty-Eleven Times

Dale and Jimmy were playing in the back yard. It was Dale against Jimmy in a battle to the finish. They were only five-year-olds, but they both had high expectations of winning this war.

They hid behind trees and trash cans, fired make-believe bullets, missiles, and rocket launchers at each other and threw pretend hand grenades, but neither of them suffered an injury.

With that much pretend firepower it was amazing that either of them could survive. They were as invincible as Walker, Texas Ranger. After an hour of intense bombardment, Dale peeked around a tree and shouted, "Aren't you dead yet?"

"No way," countered Jimmy. "You haven't even come close. But I know I hit you twenty-eleven times."

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

Just before Jimmy and Dale engaged in hand-to-hand combat, the hop of a frog caught their attention and the war was over.

The backyard battle of five-year-old buddies raises an interesting point. Neither boy was willing to let the other win. No one wanted to surrender. Nor do we.

Let someone else win? Admit defeat? Yield? Give in? NEVER! That same spirit of self-dependence and self-preservation is often carried into our relationship with God.

To surrender is to let someone else have control. That is a difficult chore for most of us. We spend most of our lives struggling to gain more and more control of our lives. The last thing we want to hear is that we should surrender.

But we should. I should. You should. To give God control of your life is a sign of strength, not weakness. It is victory, not defeat.

"That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:10-11, NIV).

Everyone will surrender sooner or later. Jesus is already Lord. The sooner you surrender your heart and the controls of your life to Him, the greater the victory will be in your life.

Hands Lifted...Defenses Down,
Perry Crisp

Who's in the Driver's Seat?

A man hauled his truck into the shop to see what was wrong with it. After giving the truck a thorough inspection, the mechanic told the truck owner that the engine and transmission were shot. The battery, carburetor, and wiring were missing. The brakes were out. And rust had eaten a hole in the gas tank.

"But why won't it start?" asked the truck owner. "The key still fits, the doors open, and the scent in my pine fresh deodorizer is still strong."

The mechanic looked at the truck owner like he was an idiot. A deserving look...wouldn't you agree?

Yet so many Christ-believers operate their Christianity in similar form. "But I belong to a church, I can quote John 3:16, and I have my own pew! Why am I not getting anywhere in my walk with Christ?"

A believer who tries to live the Christian life without surrendering to the presence and power of the Holy Spirit might also deserve the "idiot look."

An automobile needs an engine, transmission, battery, carburetor, wiring, brakes, and gas to fulfill its function. And a believer needs the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control to function effectively as a Christian.

Where does a believer find all these characteristics? "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control..." (Galatians 5:22-23 NIV)

They can only be found in the Spirit of God. Where is the Spirit? According to the Bible, the Holy Spirit lives inside the believer. So, if Christ is your personal Savior, His Spirit lives inside you. And if the Spirit is inside you, guess what else is inside you? All you need to have a meaningful, productive walk with Christ. Just ask God to let His Spirit live through you today.

The Holy Spirit is the only one with a driver's license when it comes to the Christian life. So give up the keys, slide out of the driver's seat, and enjoy the ride.

Tuned-up when I Turn it Over to Him,
Perry Crisp