All or Nothing.

I had the opportunity of serving the Lord at a Junior High Camp held by the youth group at my church. Over 300 students and leaders were there to spend time in the word, in worship, and fellowship with one another. It was an amazing time and I cherished every minute of the four days that we were at NorthBay Camp.

On the last night of programs, one of the teaching pastors told us about an analogy using a chicken drumstick. He compared an uneaten drumstick to our life that should be used as an offering to God, uneaten and untouched. As we was taking bites out of the chicken, he was saying how that is what we offer up to God in regards to our life. It's not pleasant to the eye, and no one wants a half-eaten piece of chicken or even just the bone for that matter.

When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?" says the LORD Almighty.
[Malachi 1:8]

God wants all of us or nothing at all.
Coming into camp, I was holding onto something that was dear to me. Something that I kept inside myself and only a few others knew about. I held onto it hoping that it would someday happen, but that wasn't healthy in my relationship with Christ. It was getting in the way many, many times and I didn't want to give it up. I was stubborn and I was taking the wheel, not Jesus (ala Carrie Underwood's song and another Mike Reed analogy). I finally found enough strength to let go and let God.

And once more. My verse for the summer:

What is more, I consider EVERYTHING a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.
[Philippians 3:8]

What are you holding onto that is keeping you from surrendering fully to the Lord?

You won't relent until You have it all.