O Lord I give my life to you – Psalm 25:1.
David starts out the twenty-fifth Psalm with these simple yet weighty words. Behind the straightforward subject, verb, and object lies a deep implication. David isn’t interested in giving parts of his life to God… he is giving his life to God, in its entirety. Much in the way that you don’t give half a Christmas present, David isn’t giving a half gift.
I hear this theme echoed in the worship songs of today. For example, the extremely popular song “Mighty to Save” features the lyrics, “I give my life to follow everything I believe in.” People today still realize the importance of giving up their life to Christ, or else they wouldn’t care to sing about it. But there is still a bit of a disconnect between singing about something and applying it to life. Psalm 25 gives us three different components of our life that lead to total surrender, the giving up of our past, present, and future.
Past
Surrendering your life means letting God follow through with His unfailing love and letting Him remember you not according to the rebellious sins of your youth, but in the light of His unfailing love and mercy (Ps. 25:7). Despite your many sins, they are atoned for, so that the name of God is lifted high and His power and love are known. (Ps. 25:11).
Present
Giving your life means coming alongside God as a friend who will teach you His ways and promises if you have respect for Him and His holiness. (Ps. 25:14) He is leading with love if we will follow with obedience (Ps. 25:10). We must keep our eyes ever on the Lord in the surrendered lifestyle.
Future
God endures with His promises, and He lays out for us the path to follow in the times to come. (Ps. 25:4,8,12). David writes that He is continually leading us down the path of righteousness “with unfailing love and faithfulness,” so long as we obey His demands (Ps. 25:10).
These are really just a few hints about achieving the total surrender that is a lifetime and takes a lifetime to accomplish. Continue to think on the extent that your life should be wholly surrendered and make the tweaks necessary to shape your life around God’s design for it.
-Zachariah