The word surrender has been migrating around my mind-space so powerfully these past few days. Between my own daily Bible reading, my devotional (I’m currently re-reading Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life), my personal development book (Abundance Now by Lisa Nichols), my monthly women’s empowerment circle, my pastor’s last sermon and a random meme that popped up in my social media newsfeed today, everything is telling me that in order to have it all, I have to surrender it all. The words seem easy enough, but putting it into action is a completely different story. How do we know when we are allowing God to order our steps and when we are messing with the controls? Some say there’s an innate friction felt when we are not moving in alignment with God’s plan for our life. Some days I can distinctly feel it. When I do, I pray for my mind and heart to correct their orientation back to Him. Other days I can’t detect the discord until it’s too late.

It is difficult to let go of control. Society tells us to go after our dreams. Don’t stop, just keep going. Just do it! But what about when it is not God’s will? I realize we easily yield to things of this world every single day. Day in and day out we surrender to fear, anger, temptation, the will of others, laziness and selfishness, just to name a few. If we can submit to those things repeatedly, why then is it so difficult to surrender to God? Wouldn’t it be more peaceful and healing if we Christians could all just simply cast our cares on the Lord as the Bible asks?  I know many believers can and do, but I also know that like me, some of us struggle to invite God to handle every aspect of our life here on Earth.

In each moment we experience, we get the opportunity to commune with God and ask Him to be the pilot of our lives. We may stumble. We may find ourselves pressing up against something that goes against what God has in store for us. We get to surrender ourselves over and over again until that submission is joyous and easy. Today I ask for Jesus to take the wheel over my life. I pray He leads me towards loving Him and trusting that He will provide everything He has promised. Let God lead your life towards the beautiful destiny he has planned for you.

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 straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

 

What keeps you from surrendering completely?

What areas are you still trying to manage and control?

How will living a surrendered life change your daily interactions?