Surrendering Desire

Surrendering Desire

I want to talk about surrendering Desire. In the search for complete union with Jesus Christ, Remember, He started the work He powers the work He completes the work. He decides how deep of a work it is and how long. He gives a measure of faith to each person. So even saying things like "I'm going after him with all my heart" no you're not. he's called you and he's doing a work. your only job your only responsibility is to use your free will to give itself up. that's the one work of the will. Your will didn't start this process. Your will cant keep it going or finish it or speed it up or sustain it. You can slow it down and hinder it though. Don't let your will come in and try to take credit for what's happening. that's creeping pride. that's control. look at the bride in song of songs she finds Jesus and says I will embrace him and never let him go and take him to my moms house. like a kid with a stray animal she wants to just scoop him up and take him home and enjoy him. the bridegroom has no say in that scenario and he is being handled like an object of pleasure for pleasure. that's why he leaves again. there is another impurity to be burned away. the realizing that we already possess Jesus but to allow him to have the liberty to be himself and go where he wants and do what he wants when he wants. This is total trust. embracing and never letting go and bringing home to moms house is controlling and selfish. so you have access to him whenever you want and how you want. He is a person. He is a being. not a toy. not a soulless pleasure machine. uncontrollable uncontainable. And at the same time totally trustworthy and perfectly just and 100% loving. We do always possess him and we don't have to do anything to prove it or retain that. He is with us by choice. he chose us first. how freeing. whatever he does in his free agency he is always considering us and he will always come back to us. he is loyal. He wants the same love from us. the same love must be within for the two to become one. Another instance from song of songs on this topic of letting Jesus be himself. Btw he lets us be ourself. he celebrates and praises and promotes it. He makes us into THE image of Christ not AN image of Christ. The difference is we retain our free will and unique attributes. Will we allow him to retain his? or shall we ask Jesus to be made in an image of us and our preferences? surely not. 

The bride wakes up to a knocking. He is at the door. hair wet with dew from waiting all night. she couldn't wait up for him she fell asleep maybe waiting but fell asleep without him nonetheless. how heartbreaking. he was waiting all night and morning maybe knocking too. she finally wakes and hears. his hand sticks through a crack in the door. she says I'm already in my pj's and my feet are clean. like can this wait or be on my time. but this is love its compromise it' thinking about the other. Jesus would never have a bad or selfish motive but here the bride is only thinking of herself and even accusing Jesus of being inconsiderate of the situation. not the bride it not trusting. controlling.  worshipping preference. divided mind. Her only satisfaction is not placed in Jesus alone. she finally decided to go to the door and he has left. That perfect union cannot happen unless there is same love. all motive given up except for his. all desire given up except for his. btw he does and is doing the same for us!! why cant we see that we are working towards the same thing. Oh how quickly we would give those things up if we only knew the joys that awaited. but we must not do it for the joys. we must surrender all. timing. pace. pride. desires. preference. hope. yes surrender all hope. Just sit still and be quiet and let him work. He is working. First, you acknowledge and turn away from all desires except for him. Then you repent for desiring him for what he gives and for wanting to control him and possess him and change him. and this is the final step: It's not enough to say you desire him for him not for what he gives; Even if you mean it. When you've reached that point you must even give that up! Yes give up even the desire for him so it can be replaced with his desires. complete emptiness is required for complete filling. complete death is required for new life. 

J.A.W.

Art By Amy McCutcheon