On Sunday, the Children's Sermon at our local church was a beautiful image expressing the importance of full surrender to Christ. The leader of the Children's Sermon asked the children to stay standing at the front of the church, and then she invited the children and the rest of the congregation to sing the "Hokey Pokey." As we sang it together, the children put their right arm in and took it out; then they put their left arm in and took it out; and the song continued. Then they came to the crescendo of the song, "Put your whole self in, take your whole self out." As they finished singing, the adult leader told the children, that Jesus wants all of us. That got me to thinking.

In our lives it is easier to give a little bit of ourselves to Christ and think that we have sufficiently covered ourselves as we have given Christ a consideration. There are those who give their arms and legs in mission, yet do not give their hearts and minds to Christ. They do many things that are good, uplifting, and helpful, yet they are not fully surrendered to God. Others may give their heads to Christ and bear a great amount of knowledge of the Scriptures, yet do not allow the Word to become flesh in Christ-like actions and full heart surrender. Jesus stated in Matthew 16:24-25, "Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.'"

I am challenged more and more each day that there are many great people sitting in our congregations who have given portions of themselves to Christ at various times in life, yet have never lived out the action of putting their whole selves into Christ's full life. E. Stanley Jones writes on more than one occasion about the three struggles to follow Jesus surround, "Self, sexuality, and the herd." Our desire to seek our selfish desires is an act of taking ourselves away from following Christ. Seeking our sexuality in ways that are not in congruence with the marital relationship causes us to set aside our relationship with Christ for a quick-fix that temporarily satiates a need, only to leave us empty at the end. Following the herd seeks to place the world ahead of Christ, in order that we might receive the accolades of humanity instead of doing that which is pleasing unto God.

How are you living out the Hokey-Pokey in your walk with Christ? Are you at times only placing a portion of yourself before Christ or are you giving your whole self to Him? How are you trying to give yourself for certain situations, only to remove yourself from the responsibilities in other situations? Jesus wants all of us and God's grace is sufficient to bring us into that relationship. We must look at our willingness to humble ourselves, placing ourselves fully into the flood of God's grace and love for our lives. I pray you will "put your whole self in" and never consider "taking your whole self out."

Prayer: O Lord, I place my whole self on the altar of your love that I might be fully given unto you. I pray I would not try to keep anything back from you, but that I would trust you with all my life. When I come to those times that I want to "take myself out" of following you, convict me and love me back to a surrendered life. Amen.