Will vs. Surrender

3 verses struck me over the past week-
(1) Matthew 10:39- Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake (Jesus) will find it.
(2) John 12:24- ...unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed.  But if it dies, it produces many seeds.
(3) Matthew 16:24- Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Me.

I am still reading "The me God wants me to be", and I worked my way through a difficult chapter on surrender.  He compared surrender to us driving in a car--- of me in the driver's seat and Jesus in the passenger seat or Him in the driver's seat. The first is me in control (which is easy) or letting Him drive (hard to do), including in the areas of my money, family, how I use my time, etc.

Surrendering is giving up my right to be in charge- it is a choice and is the "glad and voluntary acknowledgement that there is a God and it is not me.", John Ortberg says. Obedience comes in 2 forms and both are good- willingness and surrender.  Surrender is letting go, giving up my right to something.  Willing is me trying harder. Meditate on the difference this week. Sometimes, usually as a short-term solution, I will myself to do something that is uncomfortable or needs to be done but that I don't want to do.  Surrender is me handing over the keys- declaring Jesus is in charge- this is the long-term solution to us living in the Spirit.