This past Sunday, I shared my testimony and what I am currently learning with the church here in Bitola, Macedonia, so, I thought I would share the same with you all.
I was blessed to grow up in a Christian home. I went to church every Sunday and even attended a Christian school. I accepted Christ at six years old. Since then, my journey with Christ has constantly been growing and changing.
For the first time in my twenty year walk with Christ, I am learning what it means to surrender my will and my all to Him. This all began with me saying, “yes” to this journey called the World Race. I’ve tried to force my plans and control my life. I’m stubborn so when things would not go my way, I would not turn to God I would just try harder to find a way to make my plans work. This was stressful and exhausting.
In August 2013, Darren and I came across the World Race. I had a gut feeling that I should be doing something more than I was doing at the time. I felt God tugging on my heart but I was scared to give up my plans. When we applied for the race, it was the first time in my life that I had surrendered my will to Him. If this was what He wanted me to do then I would do it. I would quit my job, sell our house, sell our car, and set out on this journey not knowing what will happen or what our future would be like after the race. Surrendering your will to God means that you are following His lead without knowing where He is leading you but trusting that where ever that place is, it is good. A few verses that helped me with this decision are Proverbs 3:5-6 and Matthew 16: 24-27.
Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
Matthew 16:24-27
“Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”
I realized that I was living for myself. I was trying to save the life that I had built.
I started to study the meaning behind the word surrender. The Hebrew word for surrender is “magen.” One of the translations for this word is “to hand safely over.” I love this translation for the word. I always thought the word surrender meant just “to hand over” but I think the “safely” part is the most important part. When you hand over your life and your will to God, you should do so knowing that it will be SAFE with Him. That His plans for your life are so much better than anything you could ever imagine!
Jeremiah 29:11-14
“For I know that plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations”
Since surrendering my will to God and following His calling on my life, I have a freedom and peace that I can’t explain. I am finally “losing my life” for His sake and I feel more alive than ever! I am still learning what it means to surrender everything to God. But I am figuring out that it is something that I have to do and pray for daily. As I constantly work to surrender all areas of my life to Christ, I am excited to see how He will use them.
