Surrender

Surrender

“So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you.  We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.  Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit.  All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.”

--Colossians 1:9-10

 

I will admit, I have a problem with surrender. Not surrender as in giving up, but surrender in the sense that I don't want to relinquish control.

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines 'surrender' as:

·         to agree to stop fighting, hiding, resisting, etc., because you know that you will not win or succeed

·         to give the control or use of (something) to someone else

·         to allow something (such as a habit or desire) to influence or control you

How appropriate in describing my relationship with Christ. Let me clarify.  It's not that I question God's ability or power, it's that this is an area of struggle for me.  When something happens, I spring into action before taking a moment to stop, and before you know it, I’m all in without having consulted the Lord and His direction.

To make a change, you have to have a plan.  So, now what?  Let’s refer back to the definition:

First, I must ‘agree to stop fighting, hiding, resisting’, and acknowledge the problem.  Done. 

Second, I must ‘give the control to someone else’.  That will require me to take the time to pause and think before springing into action.  Let Him take the reins.

Third, I must ‘allow something to influence or control me’.  In that moment of pause, I must SURRENDER and acknowledge that still, small voice offering direction. 

In my own strength, surrender won’t be easy, but my Word says, ‘I can do ALL things through Christ that strengthens me’ (Philippians 4:13).  Pray with me.

Margaret Slaughter