Surrender. Often times this word has a condescending tone associated with it. As if we are giving up something so important to us for no reason. As if we don’t get rewarded when we surrender to the Lord so whats the point? One of the biggest lessons I have learned in this past year is that surrendering to the Lord does not leave you empty but yet it brings fulfillment. It fills the places in your heart you never knew needed filled!
The definition of surrender is: to cease resistance to an enemy or opponent and submit to their authority.
This definition is so applicable to what God calls us to do! We are to resist our enemy and the things of this world. We are to pick up our cross and follow our Creator, to submit fully to Him. But what does that even mean? I think many christians find themselves living a double-life. Praising God on Sundays but gossiping in the locker room, drinking on the weekends, prioritizing money over God, and the list goes on. I believe that when we submit to the Lord we are called to leave the double-life and to step out in boldness. “For everything in the world-the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life- comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” 1 John 2:16-17 The majority of the things we hold on to so closely are temporary. They will pass away and disappoint us time after time. Surrendering earthly things will not harm us, it will only SET US FREE! So why is it so hard to surrender these things? I have been told my whole life that worldly things are what define me. That our identity lies in the activities we do, our GPA, how much money we make, what kind of house we live in, what we wear or who we hangout with. It took me 17 years to recognize these worldly lies……I am a daughter of the Most High, a beloved, chosen child. The only way that I came to this realization was through surrendering my life to God. Every aspect. For me I had to surrender what others would say when I told them Id be taking a gap year, I had to prepare myself for the disappointed looks and the discouraging comments of “Oh, well when are you going to college? Are you really turning down your dream school? Why?” College was always the plan. Thats what you do when you’ve been in student council all of highschool, played two sports and have a 4.2 GPA. You go to college. But then I was reminded that the worlds plan for me and Gods plan for me are not the same! When I surrendered my future to The Lord and gave Him permission to use me He flipped all my plans upside down. At first I denied the tug on my heart that I felt to go on the World Race. Thoughts like, “I will do it sometime later down the road” and many others filled my head. But its all about trusting Him and once I found peace in that I became so eager for what He has in store for me!!! Don’t get me wrong, surrender is a process and sometimes it may be a little painful but oh so worth it!
Once you have surrendered, He will begin to reveal the desires of your heart to you. “Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart” Psalm 37:4. You are never too old or too young to be earnestly seeking the Lord, to surrender and to submit to Him. You will be surprised what He has in mind for you. Maybe He calls you to live out of a backpack for 9 months going to 4 different countries, maybe He calls you to talk to your co-worker about the love of Jesus or maybe He calls you to buy the homeless man on the corner a hamburger. Whatever it is, I know God will use you when you make yourself available! So I encourage you to consider the things that consume your daily life, do they deserve the time that you’re giving them? Is God at the top of your priority list or do you have some things to surrender?
I don’t know what tomorrow holds but I know who is holding me.
I don’t know where tomorrow goes but I know who goes with me.
I don’t know where tomorrow leads but I know who leads me.
