I burst out laughing when I saw this advertisement at a sky train station. However, as hilarious as it was, it made me think about my walk with Jesus.

We can easily fall into the trap of being selective Christians as we navigate life. Most of us do so unconsciously. We confess that He is Lord of our lives but is He Lord over every area or just some? After some serious soul searching, I have to admit that I’ve planted a “Hands Off” sign in a few areas.

Let’s read that advertisement again. It sounds absurd that anyone would floss only a few teeth. Why? Because anyone in their right mind would want to keep all their teeth. No believer will consciously confess that they want the Lord to bless only a few areas of their lives. However, we do just that when we refuse to surrender to Him fully.

The parts of our lives that will prosper are the ones we surrender to Him.

It’s absolutely possible to be a believer and yet not be fully submitted in every area. We see how Caleb was blessed because he was fully submitted.

Numbers 14:24
“But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it.”

The Lord commended Caleb because He followed the Lord fully. As a result, not only Caleb, but his children walked in that blessing too.

On the contrary, king Solomon with all his wisdom chose to please his 700 wives and bow down to their idols, and it was a snare to him in his old age.

1 Kings 11:6
“And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord, as did David his father.”

Paul wrote about this dilemma in Romans. We can all identify with his raw, honest confession about his inner struggle.

Romans 7:18-19
“For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.”

We too have the desire to do the right thing, but the flesh makes us do things we don’t want to do. Let’s be honest and open with the Lord. Ask yourself these leading questions.

• What areas of my life are still stagnant and not bearing fruit?
• Have I honestly given permission to the Holy Spirit to lead me in this area or am I justifying my failure with lame excuses?
• Am I ready to make a commitment to surrender this area fully to the Lord and receive some gentle correction from the Holy Spirit?
• Is there a God fearing confidante or an accountability partner that I can discuss this with?

The Lord wants to see His beloved children prosper and flourish across the board  in health, finances, mindsets, emotions and relationships.

Our praise and worship of Him is then in spirit and in truth, offered from a place of joy and fulfillment throughout our lives.

Answer the call to be fully submitted and led by the Spirit this year. You will look back in years to come and see the dividends of this decision.
In His Service,

Sohani Faria
Director
Sound of the Lord Mission