“Jesus, I understand that the life I’m choosing will not be easy, but it will be the best life I could have. I realize I am asking You to have Your way in me. Jesus, You know what I will be able to handle through Your strength, so I’m ready, Jesus. I’m giving You my foolish fear because I understand You are with me. I know that my entire life is in Your hands. Lord, in that alone I take comfort.

Heavenly Father, You know also if my life or death will bring You glory. I know that my life brings You glory now, and every day I’m blessed to live I will continue to give You glory. Lord, I know You know whether more souls will come to You through my life or death. So fear is ridiculous. Jesus, help me to fear nothing but respectfully You.” -Melissa Camp-

The surrendered life is not a life of safety or complacency! It is not a life absent of fear but one of courage, adventure, and risk! Jesus called out to the crowd, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves, take up their cross and follow me.” The people who heard this knew exactly what he meant. The cross was crucifixion -- death! If you wanted a safe life, stay home -- do not follow Him, but in doing so you will lose your life. Following Jesus required self-denial not self-preservation. 

The surrendered life is actually an exchanged life. In the book of Galatians Paul says, “I am crucified with Christ, It is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me.” Melissa understood this and willingly gave her life to Jesus for Him to use for His glory. She counted the cost, she weighed her options, she considered the alternative.

The only choice for Melissa was to follow Jesus. She was ready to walk just as He walked, and she was ready to lay her life down so others would come to know Jesus, her Savior whom she loved so much. She exchanged her life and her will for His and in return He gave an abundant life, filled with extraordinary love, fullness of joy, peace beyond understanding and every desire of her heart.

Reflection

Jesus is inviting you to join Him on a radical journey of passion, zeal, and extraordinary love. There is one requirement -- it will cost you your life! You can choose to save your life and live in safety and complacency but in the end, you will lose your life. Or you can choose to answer the call, follow Jesus, die to self and live. Which life do you choose?

Scripture

"Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.'” (Mark 8:34-35, NIV)

"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the [life] which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20, NKJV)

"By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." (1 John 3:16, NKJV)

"But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked." (1 John 2:5-6 NKJV)

"And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. "For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him,  saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.' Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.” (Luke 14:26-33, NKJV)