The Art of Surrendering
Not so long ago I hit rock bottom in many areas of my life and one day the Lord spoke to me and told me: “Gaby, you have tried to do everything your way and I have let you for many years, but clearly it has not worked out, so now I am asking you to do it my way. Surrender EVERYTHING to me.”
The Lord brought me to the end of myself so that I would make this decision. I literally could only say “you are right Lord, I give you my all” and till this day I still find myself giving Him this answer again and again. You see, giving everything to Jesus is an everyday decision, it’s a very simple one, but not always the easiest one.
If you look in the dictionary what it means to surrender, it says: “to cease resistance to an enemy or opponent and submit to their authority“. Sometimes we don’t know but in areas of our life Jesus is an opponent and he hasn’t yet restored parts of our hearts. Don’t get me wrong, when we get saved our spirit is a new creation but our soul, mind and will are still in the process of transformation.
Romans 12:2 AMP says “And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be [a]transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you].”
So transformation is a process we must go through until we see Jesus again and are complete in Him. In simple words transformation is when you make a conscious decision to abandon the way you and everyone else thinks and does things, and you actively and daily decide to seek the will of the Lord on different matters by acting accordingly, whether in simple and small things or in bigger things. Like we see in the previous verse this is a change that happens progressively as we decide to focus on things above.
“Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me].” Matthew 16:24 AMP
Laying our lives for Christ is a craft
So following Jesus is mainly about surrender and denying ourselves continually. As humans this is the opposite of what we naturally want to do because our instinct is to do everything our own way. This is why I believe laying our lives for Christ constantly is an art, it is like a craft that we have to keep working on; it’s messy, it’s mundane, it’s weak most of the times, but the Lord sees beauty in that craft. We might not necessarily enjoy the process of surrender but the Lord does because it is where we become more like Him.
I challenge you today to ask Jesus what is something he wants you to Surrender. Take it day by day, one step at a time. We sometimes think we have to start doing big things, but the Lord is maybe asking something simple, start with that. Think of surrender as a form of loving the Lord, that may transform the way you give yourself to him.
4 ways to Surrender to the Lord
1. Trusting God Completely
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8
2. Letting go of the need to figure everything out
“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
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
3. Submitting to the Leadership of the Lord
“The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, to guide and to shield me], I shall not want.” Psalm 23:1 AMP
“He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.” Isaiah 40:11
4. Admitting that you cannot save or change yourself
“For it is by grace [God’s remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God; not as a result of [your] works [nor your attempts to keep the Law], so that no one will [be able to] boast or take credit in any way [for his salvation].” Ephesians 2:8-9
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About me
Hi everyone! my name is Gabriella but you can call me Gaby.
Welcome to my blog!
I created this space with the purpose of sharing what the Lord has put in my heart in a way that is as real and genuine as possible. I want to invite you into my journey of following Jesus and I hope I can inspire you in your journey of following Him too.
