When Christianity began to be accepted by Roman society—even by the emperor himself—a significant shift occurred in the history of the Christian faith. After the Edict of Milan was issued in A.D. 313 by Emperor Constantine, Christians were permitted to worship freely without fear of persecution. Although in some regions they still faced opposition from pagan believers, Christianity as a whole began to enjoy peace and social acceptance. Then, in A.D. 380, this comfort reached its peak when Christianity was declared the official state religion. Bishops and church leaders became respected figures, able to meet—and be met by—the emperor. Yet it was precisely at this point that Christianity began to lose something precious. The faith that was once full of fire and sacrifice gradually turned into mere formal religion. The pure spiritual zeal was replaced by institutional comfort. But our passion should always mirror God’s passion. Since Christianity became a state religion, many have been more preoccupied with being called Christians than living as followers of Christ.
Now, in the twenty-first century, we are called to rekindle that same spirit—the spirit of true discipleship as in the early Church. Though the mechanisms and conditions of the times have changed, the essence of genuine discipleship must remain the same. Imagine the courage of the early Christians who endured severe persecution. They did not fear threats; they were even willing to die for Christ. We, too, live in an unstable world—a world that offers no proper security. Evil abounds, instability multiplies, and many pressures come not in the form of physical terror, but as invisible emotional and spiritual stress. The world threatens us through many channels: the power of money, political ambition, and moral decay. Yet compared to the suffering of early Christians, our challenges today are insignificant. The cruelty of the Roman Empire and the brutality of pagan persecutors who sought to crush the Christian faith were far worse. But they did not fear. They stood firm because they had true surrender. They chose the Kingdom of Heaven over the world. They cared nothing for what might happen to their earthly lives—and that is what made them strong.
As human beings, it is natural for us to feel afraid or anxious at times. But we must not drown in our worries. True surrender is not merely handing over our problems to God for help and protection—it is surrendering the entire focus of our lives to His Kingdom. Abraham is the perfect example. He left everything behind in obedience to God. His faith was so steadfast that when Elohim Yahweh commanded him to offer Isaac, he obeyed without hesitation. That was the pinnacle of true surrender—when a person chooses God completely, without compromise with the world.
Shifting the focus of life from the world to the Kingdom of Heaven is not an easy task. Very few people have truly crossed that boundary in their hearts. Many Christians still understand surrender merely as giving their problems to God, while their focus remains worldly. True surrender means transferring all interests, hopes, and goals of life toward the Kingdom of Heaven, for this is the essence of a life with eternal orientation. But reaching that point requires a long and disciplined spiritual journey. Just as a painter cannot create a masterpiece in a day, our hearts also need time, process, and discipline to turn toward God truly.
Therefore, let us learn to turn our hearts from the world to the Lord. When the heart has fully turned, the tone of our prayers and worship will change. There will be peace, courage, and assurance that come from true surrender. Everyone who truly follows Jesus must be ready to leave the world behind—not by hating life, but by refusing to let the world be the center of it. God will train and shape us until we bear the character of Christ. Then we will be ready to suffer with Him, to take up our cross, and to dedicate our whole lives for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven. And when that surrender becomes real, we no longer need to force courage upon ourselves. It will rise naturally within us—because we know that our lives are entirely in God’s hands.