Lay It Down
"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." – Matthew 11:28
You have to lay it down. That weight you have been carrying. That struggle you keep fighting. That habit, that hurt, that cycle that keeps repeating. At some point, you have to stop running and surrender.
At Celebrate Recovery, we give out chips. I have a lot of them, and I am not ashamed of that. But the first chip I ever received was a blue one. The chip of surrender. That moment was a turning point because before anything else can change, you have to surrender what is holding you back.
If you ever watched the reality show Cops, you know how every episode played out. The police chased someone down. The suspect speeds through traffic, swerves around obstacles, and does everything possible to escape. Eventually, the police throw out barricades, the car spins out, and you think it is over. But instead of stopping, the suspect jumps out and keeps running. They run and run until they have nothing left, and then, when they cannot go any farther, they finally stop, put their hands in the air, and surrender.
That is exactly how so many of us live. We run from God’s direction, convinced we can figure things out on our own. We try to outrun our struggles, but no matter how fast we go, we keep ending up in the same place. Worn out. Frustrated. Stuck.
And yet, we keep running. We keep doing the same things, expecting different results. That is the definition of insanity.
Jesus is not chasing you to punish you. He is pursuing you because He loves you. He knows the weight you are carrying, and He is calling you to surrender. Not just in a moment of exhaustion, but as a lifestyle. A daily decision to stop running, stop striving, and start trusting Him.
What do you need to lay down? What have you been holding onto that is keeping you from freedom? It is time to stop running and put your hands in the air. It is time to surrender.
You have to lay it down. That weight you have been carrying. That struggle you keep fighting. That habit, that hurt, that cycle that keeps repeating. At some point, you have to stop running and surrender.
At Celebrate Recovery, we give out chips. I have a lot of them, and I am not ashamed of that. But the first chip I ever received was a blue one. The chip of surrender. That moment was a turning point because before anything else can change, you have to surrender what is holding you back.
If you ever watched the reality show Cops, you know how every episode played out. The police chased someone down. The suspect speeds through traffic, swerves around obstacles, and does everything possible to escape. Eventually, the police throw out barricades, the car spins out, and you think it is over. But instead of stopping, the suspect jumps out and keeps running. They run and run until they have nothing left, and then, when they cannot go any farther, they finally stop, put their hands in the air, and surrender.
That is exactly how so many of us live. We run from God’s direction, convinced we can figure things out on our own. We try to outrun our struggles, but no matter how fast we go, we keep ending up in the same place. Worn out. Frustrated. Stuck.
And yet, we keep running. We keep doing the same things, expecting different results. That is the definition of insanity.
Jesus is not chasing you to punish you. He is pursuing you because He loves you. He knows the weight you are carrying, and He is calling you to surrender. Not just in a moment of exhaustion, but as a lifestyle. A daily decision to stop running, stop striving, and start trusting Him.
What do you need to lay down? What have you been holding onto that is keeping you from freedom? It is time to stop running and put your hands in the air. It is time to surrender.
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2 Comments
Thank you Pastor Ed for all you do and for your abundant faith in Jesus. I read these every day after my bible reading and have come to really love your explanations and interpretations. We were watching the Saturday service last night and I was amazed at how the Holy Spirit came down in that room when you asked anyone who wanted to be baptized also to stay after the service to do it. My middle child age 7 happened to tell me that he wanted to be baptized just hours before that event took place. I know that if we had been there in person, we would have been moved by the Spirit also and all been baptized. We will commit to do that very soon. Hopefully when my oldest son has been healed. We’ve been praying for healing for all my children’s skin conditions for years and would appreciate any prayers you might have for them. Or anyone that may read this. Please pray for Braeden, Asher and Ryker. I know many people suffer much worse things in life but any relief from their affliction would be a blessing and let them have peaceful sleep without constant itching. Thank you again Pastor Ed for being a good shepherd and servant of The Lord.
I’m for one am glad I surrendered. Every fight I ever had in life had been for nothing until Jesus came into my life and brought the Holy Spirit. All paths led to the same place. Surrender. Now they lead to victory. Surprisingly still I must add. I am infinitely grateful too that He doesn’t stop pursuing me. If it was the other way around I would be so screwed. It’s that confidence in His victory and the fear of life without Him that keep me turning to Him every day. Thanks Pastor Ed. Looking forward to church today.