WHAT DO YOU NEED TO SURRENDER?

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO SURRENDER?

 

Surrendering to God is an act of humble submission. It is admitting that Jesus is Lord; that he is God and you are not. It is trusting God with every aspect of your life, to the point of submitting all to him. When you think you couldn’t love God any more than you already do, try surrendering something important to him. It will be an interesting and difficult exercise, to say the least! When you can release something that you have held on to tightly, you will fall more in love with the one whom you can never out give.

 

WHITE FLAG OF SURRENDER

 

God wants you to give him your despair, worry, feelings of inadequacy, anxiety, secret sin, and checkered past. He wants you to turn over to his care your aspirations, favorite pet, most expensive jewels, worst enemies, parent’s failing health, and fear of being burglarized. He is to be the Lord of your job, home, bank accounts, vehicles, and even your hobbies. He is there to help you with every part of your life—your emotions, education, possessions, talents, health, awards, and more—as you surrender all to him. Would you be willing to give him your credit cards, sugar addiction, children’s future, control issues, evening wine, or agenda for the day? Mary Ann O’Roark, former executive editor of Guideposts magazine, finally surrendered something that was simple, yet made a profound difference in how she viewed life.

 

MARY ANN O’ROARK SEES A NEW FREEDOM

 

Mary Ann grew up on the Ohio River in West Virginia. She has memories of being nine years old, starting her own neighborhood newspaper, and dreaming of going to New York City. Since then, she’s been an editor and writer for a number of national magazines, as well as a flight attendant. Now as a freelance writer and speaker, she enjoys her dream-come-true life in a Manhattan high-rise.

 

Mary Ann thinks of writing as a form of prayer, and she helps others to share their own stories as sacred tools of healing and encouragement. She speaks at women’s gatherings, writing conferences, and church retreats around the country, guiding participants in journaling explorations to invite theHoly Spirit’s joy and abundance.

 

After September 11, 2001, Mary Ann surrendered her notion that life is predictable or safe. That tragedy made her appreciate how the Holy Spirit works miracles amidst chaos and change—and that her role is to live lovingly and kindly, taking each moment as it comes. She says, “Surrender is letting go of our preconceived fears and resentments, so we can move ahead. It is putting aside our own ego and choosing not to be imprisoned by external events. It is saying, ‘We are part of a greater universe, a greater mystery.’”

 

What Do You Need to Surrender? Uzziah Needed to Surrender Something Big

 

Uzziah, a godly king of Judah, needed to surrender his pride. Because he did not, the Lord afflicted him with leprosy, and he was excluded from the temple of the Lord. Read 2 Chronicles 26:16–23. You most likely won’t be struck with leprosy because of un-surrendered pride, but you will not live the life you were meant to live until you surrender all. Is it easier for you to see things other people need to surrender or to admit what you need to surrender?

 

SCRIPTURE TO PONDER

 

[Jesus said,] “Any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:33)

 

SUGGESTED PRAYER

 

Dear Lord, I know that if I, _________, do not give up everything I have, I cannot be your disciple. So, today I ask you for wisdom about what you would like me to surrender next and for the strength to turn it over to you. I pray too for daily courage to surrender more and more to you. I know that the things which are most difficult for me to lay at your feet are actually the things that are better off in your care and control—not mine! I know that I am only the steward of what you have given me. Help me surrender all, so that I might truly be set free in you. I trust you.

 

 

So . . . What Insight, Prayer, or Action Step Has God Laid on Your Heart Today?