How yielding are you willing to be?

When you hear the word yield, what comes to your mind? If you are an investor, then the amount of money you can gain is what comes to mind. In this article however, we’ll consider yielding from the surrender standpoint and its importance in the believer’s life.

The Merriam Webster dictionary describes yield as “to give up possession of on claim or demand: such as to surrender or submit oneself to another”.

As Christians, when you initially come to the knowledge of Jesus, you confess your sins and accept Jesus as your saviour in accordance to Romans 10:9-10.

That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Romans 10:9‭-‬10 NKJV

Accepting Jesus and confession of sin is the first part of becoming a Christian. The role of yielding in a believer’s life is the other part. What’s that supposed to look like?

Yielding from the Biblical perspective

In Apostle Paul’s words, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

Technically death to self occurred here, which we all should emulate.

Can you answer these questions honestly:

• Is your life yielding to Christ?
• Are you willing to die to self?
• Will you let go of your will for God’s will?
• Do you accept to be broken for God’s use?

If any of your answers are No, can you pin point why?

Living the owner’s life

Many believers continually assume the role of Jesus and the Holy Spirit in their lives. Once Jesus enters the picture, He’s responsible for you. All you need do is a steward’s role.

According to vocabulary.com, a steward is someone who manages property or other affairs for someone else.

In John 14:6, there’s acknowledgement when Jesus says “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me”. He already knows the way, meaning He knows the resources available too.

Why do you want to own the life you already committed to Jesus? Did making Jesus Lord over your life not mean anything?

Will you accept to be broken for God’s use?

Due to the prevalence of self and sin in man’s nature, there’s a need to be broken for God to use you and me. I don’t mean your physical body being broken (lol). Here’s a definition of being broken:

Highlighting those sins or things you delight in that’s not of God. God would rather highlight those things and remould you into who you should be in line with His image.

In Psalm 51, verse 10 records David praying a prayer of brokenness: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me”.

What happens if there’s no yielding?

One thing you should know is that you can’t yield one part of your life and assume ownership over the others. You’re cheating yourself.

When there’s no yielding, you should determine the path to take and make all those key life decisions by yourself. Paths and decisions you aren’t even sure will work. Only you will bear the burden of your decisions.

Am I sure of the decision and path Jesus provides? Yes I am! Even though it doesn’t turn out the way I want, I can say like Apostle Paul that I know whom I have believed.

What if I don’t know Jesus enough to yield to Him?

You can’t completely surrender yourself to Jesus if you don’t know or have an experience of Him.

This is why I recommend that you spend some time reading the Bible about the life of Jesus. You can also dedicate some time of prayer and ask for an encounter with Jesus.

Jesus is always available for you, He’s waiting for you to ask and to knock. Slowly but surely, you’ll begin to see the advantage of yielding.

To conclude this article, Psalms 55:22 sums it all perfectly:

Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.
Psalms 55:22 NLT

Thank you all for reading! To know more about Jesus, read this.