Giving in wins

Giving in has never been admirable. After all, it means we’ve lost, or we have given up. Giving in means we’ve abandon ship, conceded or bailed; hardly words we would want to be defined by. And yet the battle of will requires giving in, in order to win.

Giving in really goes contrary to everything we are told in this world. We are taught to never give in. We are told to win at all cost and that losing is not an option. Go after what you want. Only cry “uncle” if absolutely necessary, or there is no other alternative. And what Jesus asks is that we give in. But the struggle of the will is fierce. Giving in also goes against our flesh. I’ll be honest, there are strong fleshly desires that can easily govern me, and do govern me; desires that satisfy my wants, my comforts, and my pleasures. The world and my flesh seem to be much more influential when I am distracted or undisciplined in my spiritual walk.

It’s hard to give up what entices. We each have our own attractions; they run the gamut and can change over time. But, it all boils down to my will versus the Lord’s will. The battle is difficult and arduous. It lasts a lifetime. Sometimes I feel like I am doing better than other times. Sometimes I feel stuck and sometimes I feel down right defeated. The Lord’s graces are new everyday and so I stand up again and start anew trying to give up the things of this world and the things of the flesh that captivate me. I want to give in to the Lord’s will.

Jesus knows what’s hard for us to let go of. He knows the battle of will we face. He knows what things stand between us and create distance. “Jesus looked at him and loved him. ‘One thing you lack,’ he said. ‘Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’ At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth” (Mark 10:21-22). Jesus knew that the man’s possessions were an obstacle, but Jesus loved the rich man, as scripture tells us, even though he walked away. The Lord still loves us, even when we walk away and don’t give into His will. I hope the rich man came back after pondering Jesus’ words for a while. I hope his heart was transformed by the encounter with Jesus and that he came to see that giving in is a win.

At the end of the day, the Lord just wants to be our everything- our purpose, our fulfillment, our contentment. We have everything to gain by giving in, and nothing to lose. As St. Paul said, “for to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21); for the death of self brings the gain of life.