A Life Fully Surrendered

You're listening to the My Morning Devotional podcast, episode 1535. Today's Devo is called A Life Fully Surrendered. Hey there. We're the Alessies, a ministry family working together in our church in Miami, Florida. And if you're like us, when days get busy and to do lists get longer, it can be hard to find devotional time. That's why we've partnered with our friend Allison to produce a five minute daily dose of the of heaven. This is the My Morning Devotional Podcast. Hello, everyone, My name is Lauren Alessi and I am your host for this week. This whole week and actually this whole month, we've been talking out of the Book of Acts, which I highly recommend you just go back, just read the Book of Acts for yourself. It's so electric. I really have no better word for it than just electric. If it was a movie, I'd watch it over and over again. If it was a book series, I'd buy the series and I'd read it. And I don't even like reading, so that's a fact. I don't like reading at all. But today we are reading out of Acts, chapter 20, verses 22 through 24. So you guys know I love giving context. So a little bit of context here. This is Paul talking, and Paul has been traveling and we've talked a little bit about this. He's been traveling to, to Athens, to Macedonia. He's traveled throughout, I think Asia too, at this point, which Asia would have been like now Turkey. I'm not going to pretend to know a lot about the Bible. This is just from what I've heard from other people. But. So he's traveled throughout, like the Middle east preaching the gospel, which is like insane when you really look at how much Paul traveled by foot and by boat, it's like insane. He made his way to Malta at some point because he was like shipwrecked. So he like, you know, touched off in Italy. Ro. He was in Rome. This guy's crazy world traveler, honestly. So he had a pretty intense, amazing life for Christ, wrote a ton of the Bible. But he knew that if he made his way to Jerusalem, imprisonment, suffering and death were to await, were to await him. Because he had essentially built up a reputation for himself that when he got to Jerusalem with all the high priests there, all the politicians at the time, that it wouldn't be a great ending for Paul and his friends compelled him. Do not go to Jerusalem. Don't go there. You're gonna die if you go to Jerusalem. And this is where we sort of pick up Acts, chapter 20, verses 22 through 24. The synopsis I am giving you is the Lauren version, the Lauren Alessi translation. And that's not super accurate, which is why I tell you guys, go back and read it, because. Because there's so much context. I'm just giving you a synopsis. Go back and read it for yourself. But verses 22 through 24, and it says this. And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me. My only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me. The task of testifying to the good news of God's grace. It takes everything in me not to tear up when I read this verse, because here is this man who has dedicated his life to Christ. And I always wonder if Paul maybe kind of wants to die for Christ because of how many lives he. And this is just my theory. If he took so many lives for the law, for the Jewish law, if he wanted to go to Jerusalem, he wanted to die a martyr for Christ because of that little bit of guilt in him. I wonder if maybe that's what Paul was. Was facing in this time. And his friends are telling him, don't go to Jerusalem, don't go to Jerusalem. And here he stands. And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me. I pray for this kind of mindset towards my life one day. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me. My only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given to me. The task of testifying to the good news of God's grace is very interesting because I'm in a season of my life where it's like planning a wedding. I actually think by the time this episode comes out, I will be married. But planning a wedding, getting married, finding a home. And it's awesome, and it's very fun, but it can be so interesting because I'm like, I want this kind of intensity in faith about God where it's like, of course I love having a wedding, and I love getting married, and I love all these things. But at the end of the day, all of that's worth nothing to me. My only aim is to glorify God. My only aim is to finish the race and to complete the task that the Lord Jesus has given me. And I wonder if. If I know what the task is that the Lord has given me. Right? Maybe that's what we face as Christians. A lot. What is the calling? What is the task? What is the aim? What is the race we need to run? I really want to have. And maybe you struggle with this, too. I want to have Paul's, like, tenacity so bad of, like, I consider my life worth nothing to me. My only aim is to finish the race and. And complete the task that the Lord Jesus has given me. But what is the task for us, you guys, is the task. Being a minister is the task. Being a podcaster, right, is the task being a mom. And here's the truth. Only God can answer that for us. There is no task too little, too big. And I think it's important, right, not to get even into the task in itself. Like, I. I've seen people get so stuck, and now I feel like I'm rambling, but who cares? I've seen people get so stuck on the call and on the task. Like, my calling is to be a minister. My calling is to be a mom and to be the best mom. But, like, you only have your kids for so long, then what are you gonna do after? And so I think it's important not to get stuck on the task itself. But here, like what Paul says, the task is simply testifying to the good news of God's grace for every Christian, for everyone, everywhere. That's the task God has given us. And you know what's great about that, guys? You could be a teacher and have the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace while being a teacher. You could be a mom and your job and your task is still to testify to the good news of God's grace while being a mom. You can be a father, you can be a businessman, an entrepreneur. You can be anything. Whatever your job is, does not dictate your task, does not dictate your call. We all share the same task. We all share the same call. And that is of testifying to the good news of God's grace. And just like Paul, whatever my everyday job is, I want to have the same tenacity he has that I consider my life worth nothing to me. My only aim is this, to finish the race and complete the task. The Lord Jesus has given me the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace. And just like him, I want to face hard things. Like he says, I am going to Jerusalem. I want that same courage. I want to say, I'm willing to face the hard things. I'm willing to do the things nobody else wants to do. Let's pray. Dear Lord, I thank you for first God, an audience who's willing to listen to the podcast episodes, who maybe are a little bit harsher, who maybe are a little bit deeper. But God, we just thank you God for putting the same task and call on the inside of every single one of us, Lord, the task of testifying to you the good news of God's grace. So Lord, help us not get stuck in the call, help us not get stuck in the job, help us not get stuck in the details. God, help us just put our focus on you and surrender our call and our task in our everyday lives to you God, because may we consider our lives worth nothing to your overall glory, in Jesus name we pray. Amen. So there you have it. Your 5 minute daily dose of heaven. Thank you so much for tuning in today. We pray these devotionals empower you to take on your day. If you found value in this devotional, share it with a friend, leave a comment or review for us on the app you're using right now. Until tomorrow. We pray that your latte is strong, but your love for Jesus is stronger.