Here are two things that I’ve been learning a lot about recently: surrender and money.
We live in a culture full of people who are hungry for control over, well, everything.
And people are willing to do and try anything and everything to gain the control that they feel they need.
Being in control is good thing, right?
Not for me.
Personally, I can’t live like that.
I don’t want to be in control of my life.
And now you’re probably thinking–wait, Jami, that doesn’t make sense. You’re young and single and “free”. You’re independent. You are in total control of your life.
Uh, I guess I could *try* to be in control of my life, but it would wind up horribly unsuccessful.
I want…no, I need…to let Jesus take control of my life.
In my 25+ years of living, I have learned that things just don’t go very well when I try to do everything on my own.
Things run much more smoothly when I submit to the authority of Jesus Christ.
Wait, did I just say that I want to “submit” to someone in “authority”?
Oh, for sure.
These words have become so twisted and abused in our society, with the result being that these words have very negative connotations, but I believe in them.
At least in terms of my faith, I believe in them.
While society tells me that I shouldn’t give anyone power over my life, I do not and can not live by the standards of society.
I believe in submitting to the authority of Jesus Christ.
So as I seek to hold less and less control, I’ve begun taking steps to surrender things–all of the things–in my life to Jesus.
I want to give God ALL of the control.
(If you are currently shaking your head in disagreement, let me just say that when I began really surrendering things to God last June, I entered into the best season of my life, thus far. For me, submitting to authority is working out pretty well. Have you ever considered how freeing it would be if you were not solely in charge of making every decision, getting yourself out of every pit, and relying on every new self-help method to improve your life?)
I’ve realized that the more I surrender–my plans, my dreams, my identity, my skills, my strengths, my weakness, my relationships, etc., the less control I am in over my life, and the more freedom I have.
Did you catch that?
The LESS control I have over my life, the MORE freedom I have in life.
That doesn’t make sense to the world, but, man, it’s one of the truest things I’ve ever discovered.
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Okay, here’s where money comes into the picture.
I have believed that Jesus is my the ultimate provider since I was a little kid.
I’ve also believed in the importance of tithing–giving the first 10% of everything I receive back to God–since I was too young to have much of anything to give.
And as I have committed to tithe each month, God has provided in ways I often can’t comprehend.
Have you heard the story of my tuition refund? It’s one of my favorite financial miracle stories.
Or the stories of the multiple times I have been in need of housing?
Or the time I totaled my car?
Or the time my storage unit was robbed?
If not, I’d love to share these pieces of my story with you because there are stories attached to these events that have proven to me that, as I am faithful to God, He will remain fully faithful to me.
In the words of a friend, at a time when she was going through some financial struggles but continued to faithfully give and then witnessed God’s miraculous provision time-and-time again, “I can’t afford not to tithe.”
So, yes, I tithe.
But at the beginning of 2019, I really felt God saying to me, “Okay, Jami. You’ve got this tithing thing down, but it’s become a habit. I want you to be a cheerful giver, not just a habitual giver.”
What? I’m supposed to give more?
But, wait, I need to save money. I don’t have a huge savings account. I just resigned from my job. I need some car repairs. I have student loans. I’m getting kicked off of my parents’ insurance this year (which I have been paying for, but finding my own insurance will still be a new ballgame). I don’t have a job lined up between the end of the school year and my launch date for the World Race. Speaking of the World Race, I’m supposed to raise $20,000!
And you want me to give more?
But then I wondered, “How much do I really trust God? How much am I willing to give up my own control and surrender to Him?”
His statement resonated with me: “I want you to be a cheerful giver, not just a habitual giver.”
And since I believe that God can and will provide for me regardless of how much money I have in my bank account, I decided to surrender what humans never want to let go of: my finances.
In an act of surrender (oh, there’s that word again), I began to give more.
Now, I’m not just throwing money at people. But when I feel prompted to give, I give.
I won’t say that it’s always easy, but I am becoming a much more cheerful giver, and it’s becoming easier to let go.
And, you know what, God just keeps proving Himself faithful.
It’s like He’s up there saying, “Just watch me. Watch what I can do when you learn to fully surrender and trust me.”
Well, I’ve been watching what He can do, and it has been CRAZY.
I’ve given more of my finances than ever before, and I’ve probably experienced more financial blessings than ever before.
And let’s just talk about the finances needed for the World Race.
I felt very led by God to go on the World Race, so I fully believed that He would provide, but $20,000 is still a huge number.
I could be worried about fundraising, but I’m not.
Actually, a few months ago, in an effort to focus on church and school, I even decided to take a break from fundraising until the summer, so other than a few posts and some cookies sales that a friend is doing to support me, I’ve done very little to push fundraising lately.
But in the midst of this fundraising break, God keeps providing.
When He told me to start giving more, the blessings began to return to me, and many people (especially people from whom I never expected a donation or even thought to ask for a donation) began donating to my World Race fund.
So many people have become a part of my support team in the past few months, and it is just the coolest thing. And because I haven’t been pushing fundraising, I know that it has nothing to do with me begging for money; it has everything to do with God stirring hearts.
Months ago, I thought it would be nice to have 10k in my account at the end of the school year, but that didn’t seem totally reasonable, especially after making the decision to take a break from fundraising to focus on other things.
But here I am, a little under a month and a half from the end of the school year, and I’m only $2,000 away from that fundraising goal.
WHAT?!
God is crazy good, y’all.
When people ask me if I’m worried or anxious about the future–money, job security, etc., and I say, “No, not really, because God’s in my corner,” I mean it.
I have found so much peace.
As I strive to be a good steward of what I am given and to become a cheerful giver, I know that He will provide in ways that I will never, ever be able to provide for myself.
I’m surrendering, and He is providing.
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So when society tells me that I shouldn’t give anyone power over my life, I know that I will never be able to live my life that way because I’ve seen what can happen as a result of surrender.
I want to surrender everything.
I’m not there yet. I don’t have everything surrendered. But I’m getting there.
To me, surrender is a good thing.
The less control I have over my life, the more freedom I have in life.
Want to find some freedom today?
Try surrendering to the ultimate provider.
He’s got your back.
As always, thank you for being a part of this journey.
Xo,
Jami
P.S. If you are interested in donating, please click the Donate! button. I am humbled by your giving and will be praying so many blessings over your life in return.
