I Triune God Dare You

Let's get this straight right from the beginning: I'm not going to triple dog dare you to do anything. This is not a call to stick your tongue to a metal light pole in winter, or jump over a tank of sharks on a motorcycle. This isn't about mustering up courage to do something foolhardy for the sake of defying a challenge.

But it is a challenge, nonetheless. It's a challenge to set down a burden. Perhaps it's a pattern of sin that needs to be dealt with or an idol you're convinced you can't live without. It may be there is someone who needs your forgiveness, and it's even possible that person is you. Or maybe you're ignoring or resisting something you feel God is calling you to because it stretches you beyond what is comfortable.

Whatever it is, it's something you don't think you can handle. You may have attempted to contain it, avoid it, or excuse it, but it hasn't gone away. You're  tired of carrying it around, but the prospect of letting it go makes you uncomfortable and scared. I know because I've clutched burdens of my own for the same reasons.

My prayer for you today is that you will consider surrendering whatever it is to God. My hope is that you will acknowledge your attempts to shift or juggle the burden have been futile, and relinquish your quest for control. To do so, you'll have to set aside self, your agenda, and offer up the burden unconditionally.

I know it's a daunting challenge, and that's why I Triune God dare you.

I dare you to entrust the burden to your Heavenly Father, who is sovereign over all things and loves you too much to let anything hinder your relationship with Him. I encourage you to do so confidently because you have a Savior who has defeated sin and death and stands before the throne on your behalf. And as you release the burden with trembling hands and are repeatedly confronted with the temptation to pick it back up, I urge you to draw near to the Holy Spirit, who will comfort, strengthen, and instruct you.

I can't tell you it will be easy (it probably won't be). I can't tell you it will be quick. I'm not even going to suggest you'll receive the result you want or expect. But I can tell you from experience that He is faithful. When we trust God enough to surrender, He will do a marvelous work.

Are you struggling under a burden? Will you trust God enough to prayerfully consider surrender?

"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." -Ephesians 3:20-21