For us to clearly understand the two words YIELDED And VESSEL, let’s examine the dictionary meaning of these words. Yield means: to surrender or relinquish to the physical control of another or to hand over (possession such as a position of advantage or point of superiority), to give oneself up to an inclination, temptation, or habit. To submit (oneself) completely to or give up one’s breath, life, or spirit to another.
The word vessel, can be described as a person whom some quality (such as grace) is infused or bestowed upon.
These definitions put together gives us a clear view of what a yielded vessel is. Someone who is able to give up his time and his worth for someone else, (That is, God). An individual with selflessness who is completely ready to align with God’s will and desire.
Pondering on this makes me remember the works of Jesus on the cross of Calvary. No wonder! He lost His own will and inclined to the will of His father. He denied himself honor and instead strived to honor his father’s will.
Jesus Christ is our case study of what a yielded vessel is. He yielded to God’s will completely while he was on earth. He obeyed God in every way even to the point of death. His yieldedness was proved in the tremendous love he had for Mankind.
John 15:13- We Confirmed that,
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
And in 1 John 4:19 we’re reminded that “We love him, because he first loved us”.
Jesus Christ our Lord had to go through many things; a humble birth, a humble upbringing, persecution, accusations, hunger, torture and death. He yielded to His father’s will even when the will seem very hard. In Matt. 26vs42, He said, “father if this cup of suffering will not pass from me unless i drink it, your will be done “.(KJV)
Our Lord Jesus, became our substitute through love, obedience and surrendering to the will of the Father. The love he has for us and that of his father. For the sake of his love towards us, he lost sight of himself by relinquishing His authority to his father, by giving up self and became low to reach our standard.
No wonder Paul too said in Galatians 2vs20.
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me”.
This is a confession of a yielded vessel, a consecrated vessel, a vessel who has died to self-will. The vessel who really has a requisite knowledge of the one he is yielded to, we’re to have such confession daily.
So it goes to mean that, if we are yielded to God, we have a good reason for our yieldness. We are submitting to God because He has done something no one else could’ve done for us.
Sometimes we claim to love God but when the challenge or troubles arise, we don’t stand. We cannot say we love God alone on the peaceful and Joyful days, those troubles time require our yieldedness as well as our complete surrender as well and our yieldedness is the prove that we truly love and obey him.
The yielded vessel, is the one who discerns the will of the master and pants after His will. The yielded vessel can not be someone who is not committed and submitted to the will of God
The yielded vessels are those who desire just one thing and that is to see the will of God being done, and they also meditate on his word daily. Their focus is on the place where the light of God’s word is radiating. Joshua 1vs8.
The person who is yielded to God almighty wholeheartedly has some major burning heart desires. Firstly, to reveal and to glorify Jesus Christ in all their activities. Secondly, a burning desire to do something about the lost souls.
Jesus Christ our Saviour, had these desires in Matthew 9:36-38, He was moved greatly with compassion when He saw the multitude of the lost souls. It was that burning compassion that guided the decisions he made. Firstly, to ask his disciples to pray that the Lord of the harvest should “send out labourers into the harvest”. Secondly, in sending out his disciples to heal the sick and cast out unclean spirits.
1st John 2:15-17- verse 15 stated that,
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
When you yield to God, you are to hate the mundane things of this world, you’re expected to live a glorified life, if this is done, God knows the way to lift you and how to blesse you .
You’re the vessel bought with price and for the sake of the price you must be yielded completely to God.
HOW TO BECOME/ IDENTIFY A YIELDED VESSEL
(1) BY HOLY LIVING
The vessel who is yielded is Holy i.e set apart. If we have been called holy (1Peter 2:9), we must live this outwards. Everything we do must be unto the person that has set us apart (1 Corinthians 10:31)
(2) BY BEARING THE FRUITS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT- Romans 13:8, Galatians 5:22
Infact, this goes hand in hand. The more we decide to obey the voice of the Holy Spirit, the more fruits we bear, the more yielded we become.
(3) BY BEING COMMITTED/CONSISTENT IN THE PLACE OF INTIMACY –
Your selfless sacrifice must be seen. You have to maintain intimacy. You have to be consistent in study of the word and prayer. All these will keep the flesh in check and make surrender easy.
(4) THROUGH CONTINUOUS ENCOUNTER /REVELATION
THE QUESTIONS NOW IS, are we truly yielded to the things, commands and the will of God, are we fit in God’s kingdom?. Christ gave his all, his will, his glory, his life. Are we yielded?
By Bro Francis Essang, Team Watchmen