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Surrendering our Rights by Esther Swyer
written September 13, 2003
What does it mean to
surrender our "rights" ? What exactly are our rights? And to whom do
we, or should we surrender them? And why? Or, as a Christian, do we
have any "rights"?
I found myself thinking about this earlier today after a telephone
conversation concerning some of "my work". And the questions began--
"Whose work is it really? Mine or God's? Who allowed me to write it,
and Who gave me the thoughts and the insight into the things I've
written, and Who also gave me the ability to write it? Who gave me the
love for books all my life, or the interest in so many things to read
about? Who gave such a hunger for God's Word, for God Himself - and Who
but God put such a call on my life, and in my heart to share the things
He shows me - Who but God Himself? So none of it is really mine at all
- but it is all His.
Years ago I began to pray to be a channel of His love and of all that He
is; for Him to pour Himself through me to others. I didn't fully know
then all I know now, but as the years passed I realised that the call to
teach was part of His answer - and that the deepening insight into His
Word, and the ability to share those insights , whether in teaching or
writing, were also part of His answer. And as my writing increased, and
deepened, I realised that it was simply an extension of that call to
teach. Sometimes teaching involves sharing how He has worked in and
through me - at other times it is simply teaching the Word as He guides
me to do so.
Often I prayed, and still do, that He would not allow me to teach
anything He hasn't first taught me. And so most, if not all, of my
writing comes out of my life in Him and His work in and through me. But
I must also be often in prayer that He might keep me from pride - that
He might never let me forget it is all from Him and I have no claim on
any of it. If He had not given me the ability and desire to do any of
it, I would be nothing. I need to recognise and acknowledge that He
given me this precious gift, but I need also to remember it is to be
used for His glory, not mine. And I need to keep this always as my
motive for writing or teaching at all - that He will be glorified in it,
and that others will be helped to draw closer to Him.
So back to "surrendering of rights" - For me this means all I've written
above, but also it means that as I have received this I also must
give it, first to the Lord for His blessing, and then to others without
thought of anything in return. As I thought about all this I realised
it also includes not registering it as copyright material. If, by some
chance, anyone should ever want to "steal" it, and claim it they would
not really be stealing it from me but from the God Who gave it to me -
and through me, to them. And so I don't have to worry about it. After
the years of letting go of other "rights", legitimately mine, this is
just one more thing to surrender to Him and a bit more of His refining
process.
Many times God chooses to allow some of His children to profit from His
gifts to them. Other times He does not - and often we ask why. But He
alone knows the master plan for each of us, and He alone knows how He
will use either wealth or poverty in each of us as we surrender whatever
He gives, back to Him. He also knows the blessings He has planned as
His children learn to lean harder on Him for the things we need. And He
knows which of us can use His gifts wisely. Often wealth will blind
people to spiritual gifts and needs and will bring poverty of spirit.
But being financially poor often brings great spiritual wealth, as the
Christian learns to allow God to control and claim His right to
all our so called rights in whatever way He chooses.
But is Christ the only one to whom we are to surrender these "precious"
rights? What do the Scriptures teach us about mutual submission or
about esteeming others better than ourselves, of giving and sharing with
others, about fellowship and being of one body? And another, even
deeper thought comes - before we can share or surrender what we have, we
must surrender ourselves. Giving back to God what we have means nothing
for it is already His, but giving ourselves means giving Him our will,
and all He has allowed us to have and use - for His Glory alone.
So I choose to think that, spiritually at least, there is much advantage
in not being well off financially. What are the results of such
surrender? The blessings of learning to receive from His Hand all we
have, of learning to trust Him to give what we need - of having to lead
a simple life, of not needing to worry about our rights to anything - of
learning how to be content, and of having His peace within. What more
could we need or ask for?
about the author
Esther Swyer was born in Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia. The eldest of eight children she married at twenty-one and promptly had six children. She became a Christian in October of 1958 at the age of twenty-five and was baptised in December of that year. She began teaching a Sunday School class of a dozen nine to ten year olds in 1961 or 1962 and has been teaching various age groups ever since.
Esther began teaching adults and leading Bible studies sometime in the seventies. She became involved in WMS in the late sixties and held various positions over the years, then in the early to mid-seventies she started serving on the Association Council. On top of all that she was involved for many years in ladies retreats serving as small groups director for around twenty years. Currently Esther is president of the WMS on the Association level, treasurer of her church, adult ladies class teacher, and is completing her third year as a church deacon.
Her first marriage ended after twenty-two years. She re-married thirteen years later in December 1988 and was widowed in June of 2000. She has eighteen grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Esther has just published a book about her spiritual journey.