Learning To Commend - My Easter Lesson

The last expressions of Jesus Christ are commonly preached at good Friday services around the world. I have heard many of these messages, but I can’t remember any of them. Probably because I could not relate. Well that has changed for me. While there is still no sermon I can related to, there is a condition I can vaguely relate too. That condition is the condition of individual helplessness. I am at a point in a particular battle, where I am totally self helpless and powerless. I believe that is the condition Jesus was in when he spoke these words;

“Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: 

and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. Luke 23:46b” KJV

"Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands! And with those words he breathed his last.” NLT

"Father, I place my life in your hands!" Then he breathed his last. The Message

Jesus fully understood what he was called to do but in the Garden of Gethsemane he prayed that this cup, this calling could pass from him. Somehow he summoned the strength he needed and said never the less, not my will, but yours be done. As I struggled with certain issues I got to a point where I wanted to negatively quit. There is indeed a proper way to quit, but I wanted to quit on some aspects of my calling. I literally wanted to throw up my hands and say I can’t do this anymore. I wanted to say, to hell with all of this, but that is like saying instead of fighting for Heavenly results, I’ll give in to the enemy and hellish results. That’s the wrong way to quit.

The right way is to finally realize that you have exhausted all of your earthly options, and you need to quit trying to be the superhero. There are some situations (battles), the effects of which you see with your natural eye, that are not natural they are spiritual. For me it took a while (and I’m still not sure I’m completely there) to quit my self-influenced efforts, and quit, by commending my situation to God. The word commend means to deposit, as you would money into a savings account. In the best scenarios, interest causes an increase of your original investment. Jesus invested his Spirit to God, and was not disappointed for God Raised Him from the dead. The souls that have been added to the Church since then are the interest on that initial investment.

My situation requires a resurrection but nothing nearly as complex as rolling away a multi-ton stone. Pray for me, and join me in commending situations to the care of God. I promise you will receive an awesome return on that investment.

Love y‘all

SLC