The Truth of Life
The Joy of Surrender
When I talk to both Christians and non-Christians, I often speak about Christianity in its highest calling—the ultimate Christian life. My hope is to inspire others and myself to strive toward the peak of this spiritual journey.
But over time, I’ve come to realize that some people receive this message in a negative light rather than as encouragement. Some feel like they’re being called out. Others think I’m describing something impossible or misinterpreting God’s calling altogether.
Yet the most heartbreaking response I see comes from those who assume that what I’m saying implies they must give up everything that brings them happiness. But that’s not necessarily true. In fact, in most cases, it’s quite the opposite.
Don’t hear what I’m not saying.
When I talk about the Christian life, I think many people imagine a life of constant sacrifice—wandering the world with no place to rest, little food, enduring persecution, dodging bullets, and being hunted for their faith. And to be honest, that could be someone’s calling—only God knows.
But that’s not what I mean when I say “aim high.” I’m not telling you what your specific path should look like. What I am saying is this: aiming high means pursuing more of Jesus. It’s in that pursuit that we begin to uncover more of God’s will for our lives.
It’s All Joyous Purpose
Surrendering your life to God doesn’t strip away joy or fun—it transforms it. You can still pursue a career, build friendships, raise a family, enjoy entertainment, travel, and embrace the good things God provides in this world. The difference is that with God, those things are filled with purpose and anchored in meaning. Without Him, they can easily become empty pursuits—or even lead us astray.
Without God, there’s an empty void. And the danger is that we often chase pleasures and ambitions in an attempt to fill it. The fun we seek, the goals we pursue, can become like a drug: giving us a temporary high, but ultimately leaving us feeling hollow and unsatisfied. At the end of our lives, all of it may seem meaningless—like the crash that follows a fleeting thrill. Worst of all, we may come to realize that what we’ve been chasing has replaced the very relationship we were created for: a life with God, aligned with His purpose, His plan, and His will.
When we are filled with the love of Jesus, we’re not chasing joy—we’re living from it. We no longer seek fun to escape our emptiness; instead, joy becomes the fuel that adds meaning to our fun. With Christ in us, we become better friends, parents, coworkers, and people.
We can go out with friends and not only enjoy time together—but also reflect the love of God in how we speak, listen, and care. As parents, we no longer see our children as burdens that try our patience, but as gifts entrusted to us—souls God has called us to shape and love. Even our jobs—whether exciting or routine—become places to shine God’s light, because we work not just for a paycheck, but for His glory.
I know this from experience.
For many years, I battled addiction to drugs and alcohol. When I was high, I felt like I could finally enjoy life. It gave me a way to escape my insecurities, regrets, and failures. But when the high wore off, the heartache returned—because I was still me. Unchanged. Still broken.
The world God created offers many things that can entertain, sustain, and even comfort us—and there’s nothing wrong with enjoying those things when they’re kept in the right perspective. But the key is this: we must first be filled with the love of Christ. Fully surrendered. Fully submitted to Him. When Jesus is our life, the things we do are no longer to fill a void, but to express the fullness of His love in us.
But if we continue to use the world like a drug—to numb the pain or distract us from what’s missing—we’ll eventually wake up to find we’ve traded God, our true identity, our purpose, and our eternal treasure for momentary pleasure. And in the end, we’ll be left with the very thing we were trying to escape: ourselves. Unchanged. Still broken.
