† Oh my sweet surrender gift †

This subject sounds both like a sweet melody and at the same time, as a leap into the void, which can be terrifying also.

Like I mentioned in the video, to surrender doesn’t always feel like relief. Sometimes, it feels more like a huge risk, not knowing if it’s all going be alright in the end…

The main definitions you find online are striking to me. Examples like: to stop fighting, admitting a defeat, to deliver yourself to someone or something, to voluntarily cancel, to stop resisting… these examples are both relieving and scary.

But as I mentioned in the video again, With God, to surrender turns out to be a bit different.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

The video is great, but I do want to focus a bit more on 3 specific aspects.

The first aspect: I want to talk more about how Surrender really is a gift from God. The fact of being able to let go of our control on things either small or very serious, is always going to produce that sense of relief and rest, because we know God is The One holding us and our lives. I don’t know how you deal with hard things, but the fact of being able to let go and stop trying to control outcomes/situations/problems and giving them to someone you know who loves you and can actually make things turn out for good, is priceless and comforting.

In my life, I think the main aspects that were the most difficult ones to surrender to God’s will and control were mostly linked to decisions I had to take concerning my health, and sometimes with very real and scary possible consequences to them. It feels like I’m laying down my life into His Hands not knowing at all what will happen. The only thing I can do is to Trust Him. The second aspect of my life, and I am choosing to be open and vulnerable with you is the subject linked to my future and my desires. I am a very big dreamer; I have very big visions and plans and desires for my future but they sometimes seem very inaccessible at times. This is where I know I need to surrender them to God and walk ahead, one step at a time, trusting that HE is leading me exactly there where He wants me to go. And the way to get there never looks like what I had imagined, which is sometimes really uncomfortable, frustrating and yes, scary.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 NIV

The second aspect: I want to talk more about how Surrender is a conscious decision from our part. I spoke about how Jesus invites us to surrender our plans and our lives to Him and follow him. This is probably the other hard part of this action because it requires of us to let go of our opinions, our schedules, our plans and often our desires that come with them. But it also requires of us to let go of our egos and submit ourselves to His Kingship first of all, and to His leadership. Humility isn’t something we generally perceive as strength or as something desirable. But our ego is probably one of the biggest roadblocks that often prevents us from fully surrendering to His plans and purposes, and thus experience that peace and relief that come with surrendering to Him.

In my story, it was hard to accept the image and the reality I had to face every day and that I couldn’t change. Having a very healthy mind, a sick and limited body often felt like a cage that doesn’t represent who I am. And I hated it. And I couldn’t change it. So at some point, I hit a wall and was confronted to myself. I knew God loved me and that His plans for my life were good. But being able to taste His goodness and experience His peace and enter into His plans for me, I had to let go of what I couldn’t change and that I was fighting so hard against, or clinging onto so hard.

I once read a quote from someone I don’t remember who, that said that: “faith doesn’t manipulate God; It moves Him”. This hit me because it’s true. We can’t control God or manipulate Him in doing what We want Him to do and how we want Him to do it. But, we can choose to Trust Him and let go of our stubborn ways. This releases God’s Power and Action in our lives and this is also one of those places where we meet Him to the fullest. And I can tell you, tasting God and His Presence and His Love and His Goodness and His faithfulness are the only things I want forever, now. Now I know, that my dreams and desires are also His and in order for me to enter them fully and abundantly, I need His guidance and leadership through the ways life brings to me, in order to get there.

“We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps”. Proverbs 16:9 NLT

*****

I just want to make a small sidenote here to say that I don’t believe God brings hurt in our lives or that sickness is His perfect will or that our dreams and desires don’t matter to Him, nor that His will is necessarily the opposite of ours (unless it’s unbiblical, obviously…). What I am saying is that God has 1 way for each one of us, and it doesn’t look like anybody else’s. When we choose to give Him our lives, He becomes our guide, and sometimes, life brings valleys, but as the Bible says: “Even though I walk through the [sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort and console me.” Psalms 23:4 AMP God redeems everything we give Him and everything we bring to Him, because He loves us and because HE IS FOR US. But I do understand the frustration and the hurt that can come from the fact that we often have to grieve things we thought were going to happen a certain way, or happen at all but didn’t, or that our plans are sometimes not the best ones for us… and it’s okay to feel these things and take time to heal what was so deeply hurt.

The 3rd aspect: I want to talk about fear because it too, is one the biggest roadblocks to surrender. Like I said in the video, sometimes we don’t believe that God’s plan is better than ours. Or sometimes, we’re afraid of losing what we want so bad. Or maybe, another aspect is that we’re afraid to experience more deep pain again, if we choose to let go, or that our deepest desires aren’t ever going to happen because they aren’t God’s plan for us, or whatever…

Letting go will always be a risk. I can’t tell you that when we surrender our situations and ourselves to God, everything will suddenly fall into place and be easy and quick, no. And yet… sometimes, it does! =) That’s why somehow, in some ways, to surrender becomes exciting!!

He does promise us to be our Strength and our Hope and our Friend through it all. He also promises us that when we come closer to Him, He comes close to us too. And, He will make a way through whatever we’re facing. And He also does promise us a life of fullness….

In my story, I’ve experienced incredible breakthroughs and miracles when I chose to surrender. But it was hard to trust God after all the hurt and the fear, so I had to ask Him to help me trust Him again. And He helped me, and still does. I still have situations I’m afraid of, and surrendering is so hard, but He leads me through the process and helps me over and over again to let go and Trust. I also like to remind myself of His past faithfulness, because it acts like an anchor to my walk. I remind myself that: «He was faithful then, so I know He will be faithful again in this.”. His promises and Who He is sustain me.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 NLT

Practical Surrender

I invite you to get close to God and let Him reveal Himself to you. I think that this one thing is enough. Because when your being in confronted to Him, your heart changes and heals. His love and safety heal our fear and disappointment.

Like I also mentioned in the video, it can take time to trust God. Sometimes, we need to go through a few steps before we can let go. Praying and talking with God about our struggles and hopes and situations for a while. Deep things take time, and Trust is something we need to build. =)

Reading the Bible, reading the promises He gives us in it. Choosing to believe them for ourselves and asking Him to manifest himself in them, in your life is so important. His word is a great comfort to my being.

All in all, your relationship with Him will grow, and with it will come Love and Trust and depth and peace and healing and Himself….

You can also write. Writing is incredible and I can only encourage you to do it.

Remember, you are loved and God is next to you, holding you and walking every step of the way with you…if you let Him.

Be blessed!

Mel

If you want to hear about what I have to say about Jesus, click here and meet me there =0)