Voluntary Surrender

A fitting metaphor for the Christian walk is that of enlisting in the army. Upon enlistment, the soldier immediately surrenders control of his or her life. Where the enlistee lives, when he or she moves, what clothing will be worn, how the enlistee will behave, and what he or she will do - all of these things are given over to the commanding officer to decide. Becoming a Christian requires a similar surrender - except that no one is ever drafter; it is always voluntary, and it takes longer to realize than a four year enlistment. The truth is that surrender is not an easy thing to do. But without that surrender a soldier is not useful to the army, and a Christian is not useful to God.

The Hole In Our Gospel, Richard Stearns