Surrender by Choice

On my way home from church today I turned a corner and was startled at the sight of a large animal near the side of the road. Once I realized what it was my astonishment dissipated—it was just a cow at the edge of a fence. Suddenly the sight of a large beast standing in the grass no longer shocked me. Another recent example of this was being on Instagram and seeing a fellow photographer’s recent shots of a bald eagle perched on a branch. I was amazed at the close proximity and clarity of the photos, but once I was informed that the photos were taken at an aviary the shots suddenly didn’t seem quite so amazing. Why is that?

Like the zoo, it is always fun to see unusual animals but it doesn’t have quite the same effect as seeing them in their natural habitat. An animal in captivity loses its mystique and becomes a curiosity rather than a thing of magnificent beauty. If I had seen that cow in the wild I probably would have stopped the car and gotten out to take a photo because it would be unexpected. Likewise, I think the same is true of Believers. There are those who claim to be Christians that either do so because of family tradition or following a set of rules out of fear, but once you open the gate they’re gone. Those types of Christians don’t move people because it is as if they are merely practicing religion as an animal in captivity. But the Lord’s desire is to set the captives free (Isaiah 61:1)! Who the Son has set free is free indeed (John 8:36)! And where the spirit of the Lord is there is freedom (2 Corinthians 3:17)!

Isn’t there something so unbelievably breathtaking about a Christian who knows they are free in Christ and chooses to follow Him anyway? Like any wild animal that emerges from the security of its familiar environment and engages a human of its own free will to eventually submit to their authority, there is something awe-inspiring about seeing a human surrender the safety and security the world has to offer, set aside his own desires and fears, and choose to follow and trust God. They are wild and free, yet choose to surrender to a new master, not because they were forced or captured, but out of pure love and trust. It makes people stop and take notice and leaves them astonished, for nothing is more thrilling than such a sight!