Deep surrender is important to achieve as a Christian. We can have our hopes, plans, and dreams, yet we must hold them loosely, in full submission to God and His perfect plans.
Deep surrender requires us to be at peace with the way God leads. His ways are mysterious and not like ours, but undeniably so much better!
Faith is grown in moments of deep surrender. In the submission that acknowledges that God is in control and that He is incredible at leading us where He needs us. And then in the grace that resists a hard heart and contention when things don’t go as we expected.
Perfect Plans
If you were to ask me if I ever doubted the perfection of God’s plans, I would say absolutely not. This doesn’t mean I claim to understand His plans, but I am confident that He is completely in charge and never surprised.
You would think that with this realization that perhaps I’d have more faith or more peace. Ideally, I would. God literally has a perfect track record and I have zero reason to doubt. And yet, when hard things happen we all find ourselves pondering what brought us to this moment. Was it an error on our part, a failure, or simply part of our perfectly scripted story?
Deep surrender dictates that we release the need to control the narrative and find freedom in letting God play the role that is His alone in our lives. After all, He is God and we are not. As women we need to practice surrendering situations – both large and small – so that we can better rest in the role God has designed for us.
Perfect plans don’t mean that there will never be any problems in life, but rather that everything has the potential to lead you closer to God! Use every moment as a reminder to acknowledge and praise God. We can never show too much gratification or appreciation to Him!
Peace
Deep surrender brings an incredible peace. Everything can seemingly be falling apart around us and yet we are promised a peace that surpasses human understanding. God’s got the details, the how and the why and the when. I once read that the enemy brings confusion, but God brings peace. And I think that is so important to remember!
The enemy loves to rob us of peace, so it is important to practice stepping into it. We can do this by releasing frustrations and concerns and worries, choosing instead to surrender and claim the grace He gives. It comes down to a simple decision. Instead of reacting or being triggered by situations, plan ahead how you want to respond – especially to your most trying scenarios.
The Bible puts it so perfectly when it speaks of a peace beyond human understanding. Choosing a place of deep surrender, letting go of your affections, and releasing your expectations allows God room to overdeliver!
Living in peace is another important way to work at getting in alignment to the calling God has placed on your life.
Follow His Lead
I marvel at how God leads when I’m fully submitted to Him. How He has a magical way of working things together, preparing me for what’s ahead. It is incredible! Only God could orchestrate so many moving parts and details.
Deep surrender is found in following His lead. Resting and waiting is an essential part of following Him, as is stepping forward in faith and taking action. There is a fascinating balance in His word and in His creation. No one size fits all calling, but rather a do-your-best-and-then-make-adjustments-along-the-way.
It takes courage and deep surrender to follow the path He lays in front of you. A daily decision, sometimes moment by moment to trust even though you don’t understand. But there is an amazing salve of peace that comes with the release of control. A surrender that leads to faith and trust being built. And who would want anything less?
Sometimes – perhaps even most times – the largest growths in our relationship with God come from the hardest circumstances! And if that is what it takes to grow closer to Him, who would want anything less? Because when we lean in and remember where our focus lies, what actually matters and what’s truly important, we find that our load is easy and our burden light because He is the One that sustains us!
Is His Will So Fragile?
I read something recently that really helped my perspective on so much of life. God’s will and human error were being discussed. Our desire to obey God, yet our fear of getting it wrong and messing things up.
And so perfectly and appropriately, the reminder was shared that God’s will is not fragile. We aren’t at risk of messing things up when we seek Him and truly give our best to walk in His ways. He is so much more powerful than that!
So quit trying to give so much power to conflicting situations or difficult people. Lean into deep surrender and trust God to orchestrate your life. He is perfectly capable of working with imperfect people and situations. He does it all the time. We are not so powerful as to limit Him accomplishing what He wants to accomplish!
And that’s where trust comes in. Trusting God to take care of the details. Trusting God that He hasn’t brought you this far just to abandon you. Confident that He has plans for your good and not your harm. In the midst of all this trust, we find that our faith is grown.
The hardest things truly lead to the best things. Lean in, trust God, and walk securely in the path He’s placed in front of you. We can have our hopes, plans, and dreams, yet we must hold them loosely, in full submission to God and His perfect plans.
Until Next Time!
Hope.