Christian Writers Circle

Yielding

Maturing in Christ

by Brenda D. Flowers

As I was praying about writing on our new topic of maturing in Christ, I sat still with my journal and pen in hand, waiting to hear what God wanted me to write. The word, yielding, captured my attention.

When we first become Christians, there is definitely a yielding which must take place. We come to a point in our lives when we realize we are sinners in need of a Savior. Often, we cry out because we feel so lost, alone or helpless. God is a faithful father. He loves us so much, He allows us to go through life experiences which help us see our need for Him. It may even seem like He doesn’t exist or He is no where near.

Before our time of yielding, we lived our lives like entitled children, demanding our own ways, often seeking the pleasures of this world, not thinking of God or others. Recently, I watched my two young grandsons, ages 4 and 2, fighting over a toy they both wanted to play with at the same time. They were surrounded by other toys and yet they put all their energy and focus on that one toy. “Mine” “Give it to me.”  Their grabbing and pushing went on for a few minutes, until finally I stopped them to show them how they could each have a turn with the toy. I took that toy away from them for a few minutes with the promise that they would each get a turn after a time of quiet and no more fussing. They weren’t happy during the period of time when the toy was removed. After a few minutes, which seemed so long to them, my older grandson said, “I’m sorry.” When the designated time had passed, they played with love and laughter and I happily played with them.

I remember, before I became a Christian, there was a time in my life when I felt all alone, like nothing was going “my” way, and even when I prayed God was quiet. Yet I realize now, He was watching over me the whole time. He was waiting until my heart was softened enough to receive the seed, the gift, He had to share. My heart had to be prepared and yielded to the reality that Jesus Christ was the sacrificial Lamb who had died to take away all of my sins.

A couple of meanings of yield are: to give up or surrender. When we yield our hearts to accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are surrendering our will to God’s will. As we grow in maturity we are to daily yield our will, seeking God’s will. This year, the words of the Lord’s Prayer, which Jesus shared as the way we should pray, have meant more and more to me.  On January 21^st, I celebrated 37 years as a Christian. As I have walked this life journey toward maturity in Christ, I have realized more and more the power of God’s Words and the life in the message of the Bible.

While saying the Lord’s Prayer, we say these words, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.” Many Christians routinely say these words each week during a Sunday service or a Wednesday night service, without even thinking about what they are saying. That is what I did for many years. I recited those words without really yielding to the meaning or The Power within those words. Yet, there is much more to the Lord’s Prayer which I am just beginning to understand. One big aspect of this prayer is having a heart of praise, honoring a Holy God in humbleness. Jesus modeled this for us. Other key messages hidden in the words are the importance of daily hearing from God and totally having a transformed heart full of love and forgiveness, confessing our sins daily before going out into the world. God wants us to be aware of our true enemy’s tactics and to grow in wisdom. As we seek God’s will, we do experience deliverance.

In 2015, I believe God is revealing His Kingdom to mature sons and daughters of the King of kings who are ready to be living ambassadors for Him, reflecting His Glory, so people may see His great love and His great power to overcome. As we mature, we learn the importance of yielding, giving honor to whom it is due. As mature Christians, we will want to give God the glory for the great things He has done and will do through us.

Our lives are our testimony of maturity in Christ, by what we say and what we do. I am challenged by this revelation. I am learning how important it is for me to start my day with praise and thanksgiving to God. He is teaching me how to trust Him more and more each day. I am learning to yield to Him, by giving Him all my worries and cares, trusting Him with my whole heart, leaning not to my own understanding.  God wants me to yield to His ways in full obedience. Often I revert back to trying to take control of my life, but He wants me to give Him full trust and control.

Yielding as a mature Christian should be more like breathing, daily breathing in His presence and His wisdom by His Holy Spirit. We should be living and walking in oneness with Him. His Presence fully functioning in me is an amazing revelation of maturity in Christ.

God’s promises are true. There are many promises in the Bible regarding the blessings a fully yielded mature Christian will experience. We shall yield the fruit of the Spirit which is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. (Galatians 5:22 & 23)

Yet, the journey on the path to maturity in Christ is full of challenges and even chastenings. My thoughts return again to what a loving father God is. His Word says in Hebrews 12 verses 7-11 NKJV: 7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 8 but if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the father of spirits and live? 10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. 11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Lord, my prayer is that we, who have read these words, may take them to heart. We don’t want to behave like illegitimate children or ungrateful children. This year, we sincerely want to grow in maturity in Christ, learning to overcome the world as we experience His life alive in us.

As we speak and share God’s words, we truly are planting seeds which will someday yield a harvest.