“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” - (Matthew 7:13-14)
What memories come to mind when you hear the phrase “surrendered heart”? Or, what initial thoughts arise when we discuss or hear the word surrender? Often, the concept of a “surrendered heart” first brings to mind the salvation process. An individual may not yet know Jesus personally or may not have made Him Lord of their life. When that person seeks Him by God’s grace, this initial step is surrender. But what about the call to surrender daily (Luke 9:23)?
The call for followers of Jesus today is the same as it has always been. Heroes of faith—Abraham, David, the Prophets, and the Apostles—knew what it meant to keep a surrendered heart to God. Ultimately, Jesus Himself modeled this for us, choosing to go the way of the cross and defeat death despite His own anguish. The gift of a surrendered heart, given by God, is something we are called to keep and guard vigilantly (Prov. 4:23).
How do we steward a surrendered—or yielded—heart toward God each day? Only by His grace can we do so. The answer is simple yet profound: we must love Jesus above all else. Friends, may we ask God that, by His grace, our “first love” for Jesus may be restored and strengthened.
Whether in the business sphere of a “reached” nation or living among the “unreached” across the world, the call to keep our hearts surrendered to Jesus is the same. At Hundredfold, we aim to raise awareness among “green zone” believers about what is happening on the frontlines in “red zone” nations. From the beginning of this exploratory trip and the conversations we’ve had with workers on the ground, one thing is clear: we desperately need to live with our hearts and lives surrendered completely to Jesus.
Fruit may not always be visible immediately—or even after 15 years in “hard soil”—but the key to following the Spirit (John 3:8) is a life postured in complete surrender to God: going where He leads and staying where He stays. God honors obedience, and we can only obey if our hearts are completely yielded to hear Him. One frontline worker said, “Living on mission is a lot different than doing ministry activities.” Mission is a surrendered life—being whoever, doing whatever, and going wherever God says.
Surrender is not easy, nor is it always delightful to the flesh, but it is absolutely worth it. God promises a hundredfold return of His presence when we live in costly surrender (Mark 10:29-31). This is our aim at all times. May we keep vigilant watch over the gift of a surrendered heart and walk the narrow path.
God bless you.
