I recently heard a story that makes a profound point about surrender. Some time ago a radio station reported news of a stolen VW Bug in California. The police staged an intense search for the vehicle and the man who stole it, even to the point of making announcements on local radio stations to contact him.

On the front seat of the stolen car sat a box of crackers that, unbeknownst to the thief, was laced with poison. The car’s owner had intended to sue the crackers as rat bait. You see, the police and the owner of the car were more interested in apprehending the thief in order to save his life than to recover the vehicle. But the thief, not realising their intentions, fled from the very people who sought to help him.

The story illustrates an important truth. So often we run form God in order to escape His punishment. But what we are actually doing is eluding His rescue. How do you reach a point of true fulfilment? First you must realise that fulfilment is not a matter of position or power. It is a matter of loving God and allowing Him to love you. All you need in order to be fulfilled is Jesus Christ living within you. You are God’s beloved child – an heir to His throne. There is no higher calling than this, and there is no greater position than the place you hold in His family.

Truthfully, as a Christian, you have both authority and power. Your identity is secure because of who lives inside you, not because of what you do. Few of us, if any, seek a mundane existence. Instead, we long to experience life in a grand way. The glut of reality TV shows is genuine evidence of people craving something bigger than the ordinary lives they lead. Because we want to grow emotionally and intellectually, we constantly seek new ways to expand our vision and enjoy life more. However, extreme sports challenges, exotic vacations, and hedonistic thrills promise more than they can deliver.

Charles Stanley