Surrender

“What is the secret to great living? Entire separation to Christ and devotion to Him. Thus speaks ever man and woman whose life has made more than a passing flicker in the spiritual realm. It is the life that has no time for trifling that counts.” – Amy Carmichael

Have you ever had those lessons that took a long time to learn? For me, surrender was that lesson. I am the kind of person that likes to be in control of situations. I have found that if you want something done, you have to do it yourself, otherwise it is not going to get done. I suppose that this quality can be good, except when it spills over into areas that we don’t have control over.

Ironically, I knew I wasn’t able to have control of every situation. I knew that my God was sovereign, and that His will is best and perfect. Although I knew this, submitting to it was a lot more difficult than simply acknowledging it.

Throughout 2013 and 2014 the Lord slowly, beautifully, and gently showed me that I wasn’t in control of situations that came into my life. He showed me even if I want something, and think I know how to make things work, I can’t if it is not His desire. He taught me that His way and His plans are not only good, but best.

During this summer, I finally surrendered. I finally let go and asked the Lord to have control over any and every situation, hope, want, fear, and plans that I had. Before truly surrendering, I always prayed for His will to be done, however I secretly held onto what I wanted. Yet, it wasn’t until I truly, brokenly, and repentantly, asked the Lord to take complete charge over every area of my life, that I truly felt an amazing sense of joy, satisfaction, and peace.

Elisabeth Elliot, wife of martyred missionary Jim Elliot once said, “I realized that the deepest spiritual lessons are not learned by His letting us have our way in the end, but by His making us wait, bearing with us in love and patience until we can honestly to pray what He taught His disciples to pray: Thy will be done.”

It is amazing to see all the blessings that have happened after I surrendered my desires to His. When I asked for His desires to become His, many life changing things have happened. I now am able to say, “Thy will be done,” and truly mean it. I now have a sense of joy that is unshakable in any situation, and I now am even more confidant that His plans are best.

And because I now not only know in my head, but in my heart, that the Lord is in control of every aspect of my life, every detail, every joy and challenge; I am able to leap for joy.