Gelassenheit: Beauty for Ashes Article

The Amish Gelassenheit is a German word which means “to surrender, to yield completely”. I have never forgotten this word because on that very night, God invited me to give Him a chance to take full control of my life. I would say that it wasn’t easy to give all the keys to God. I felt then that God would cheat me. That the moment that I would say “YES” to Him he would leave me with no job, no husband, nothing. I was afraid.

I grew up in the church, know all the Christian songs and Bible stories and I know in my heart that I have accepted His gift of salvation when I was 10.  However, I have never really realized the impact of being a follower of Christ until I was in my 20s. Jesus, as my Lord and Savior, would want me to abandon my selfish desires and ambition and follow His will in my life. The very words of Paul in Galatian 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live but Christ lives in me…” pierced my heart until I completely said “Yes, Lord…in everything, gelassenheit”. A complete abandonment of self is necessary in order to live the life that is meant for us.

Sure, this could mean differently for each us. For me, this means giving up my job and pursuing graduate studies so that I can be equipped in God’s Word. This means giving up my desire to be well-known and pursuing God’s desire to reach out to the nations (Matthew 29:18-19. Walking on that path meant that I had to die to myself daily—to my desires of getting married, having a well-off life and having a fantastic career.  But with God’s grace, I was able to yield to God and trust Him for His leading in my life.

It may sound absurd to many especially in the world’s sight. But God is wise; He has a purpose—with obedience comes unimaginable rewards. Most of all, God rewarded me of Himself. He became my Mentor, my Guide, my Best Friend. He was (and still is) my generous provider. He led me to places that I have never imagined I would be able to go. He allowed me to go as far as the islands of Tawitawi twice! He even gave me a chance to see South Korea—not even a single peso spent! J He blessed me with a masters degree plus an unexpected award! And then, to my biggest surprise, He gave me a man who pursued and love unconditionally.

To surrender isn’t easy but this is the response that God wants from us. It may be difficult and challenging but take heart God is with us. Every day is a chance to say “yes” to Jesus—it is exciting, it is worth it.  

                                             

This is  one of my articles in Young Women on a Journey Book 2. You may purchase it directly to CSM (www.csm-publishing.org) or you can send me a message for details (sulat.hinaing.atbp@gmail.com).