In Making Room I wrote about how we called to give our whole lives to God. Matthew Henry described this act of surrender as signing over the title to our lives. I feel like it’s an apt description. It has a weight and finality to it.
In the CSLI devotional, the writer describes the yoke of Christ like this:
“A yoke is a large wooden crossbar placed over an animal’s neck and connected to another animal. When in training, a new ox is yoked to a large, seasoned one who will actually bear most of the weight. Only if the new ox submits to the yoke and learns to walk in step with the older one will its yoke be easy and burden light and even restful. Otherwise, the younger ox will lacerate its neck by resisting; it will be restless.”
Yes, we can learn to daily put our heads back in the yoke, yielding to our Savior who will bear the weight, and life teaches us that resistance only results in pain. This is a picture of the Christian life — daily, minute-by-minute surrender. But the Matthew Henry idea of signing over title is also true. It describes the Christian life as deciding to fully commit — as signing over the title to your life, not holding anything back at a moment in time. Perhaps it’s like the two facets of time: chronos and kairos. Historical time (everyday moments, everyday surrender) and historic time (that moment you sign over the title) combine to paint a full picture of the Christian life.1
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Romans 12:1
Digging Deeper:
Which do you find more more challenging: the signing over the title or the walking in step? Why?
Where do feel like you can most easily discern the difference between the two kinds of time? Do you think you are called to rejoice and be grateful in all of them?
I have been working on this post on and off throughout the day. I drove home from book club a little bit ago and on the radio heard R.C. Sproul describe these two facets of time which fits perfectly with these two kinds of surrender.
Love this 😇