Why It’s a Blessing to Surrender to God Especially When It’s Hard

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What if God asked you for permission before He allowed your life to get painful and messy?

I imagine like me, you would quickly reply, “I don’t want to!“

“I don’t want to . . . endure, suffer, grieve, lose, forfeit, repent, surrender, forgive, etc. It’s too hard. It’s too painful. I’m not strong enough . . . I can’t do it.”

I’ve not only found myself saying the words. I had a time when with my fist clenched, like a spoiled four-year-old, I shook my hand at the heavens and shouted, “I don’t want to!” Not once, not twice, but probably half a dozen times.

I knew what God wanted me to do. I knew it was way past time for me to surrender the situation . . . to lay it at the throne of grace and let God be God in every area of my life.

But God was not acting fast enough to give me what I believed I needed. So, I cried and prayed. I searched for solutions. I tried everything and anything I could to end the pain and clean up the mess, except surrendering it to God.

After yet another tantrum, as my shouts slowly turned to streams of flowing tears, I reached a place of stillness and heard the Lord quietly whisper, “It’s time to let it go. Give it to me.”

And my reply,  “I don’t want to, but if You want me to then You will have to pull it from my clenched fist and take it from me. I will do my best to trust You but I still don’t want to!“

Not exactly a surrender I’m proud of; nonetheless, one that God has shown me He received with grace and mercy.

Although it’s hard for me to explain or understand, I began to feel my clenched fists relax along with the emotions I had been holding on to so tightly.

Like a gentle parent, the Lord coaxed from my life what He knew was harmful and tenderly said, “It’s going to be okay. Trust Me. I will take care of this and I will take care of you.“

I think we tend to believe that we need to have the strength of will to surrender. But surrender is simply admitting that I am weak and God is strong and that He will faithfully show Himself strong in my life when I let go and give it all to Him.

• Surrender to God is trusting that His ways are best.
• Surrender to God is trusting His love and promises.
• Surrender to God is trusting that He will give me strength when I have none of my own. 
• Surrender to God is trusting and obeying His will and His Word.

Surrender to God is following Jesus’ example in the Garden:

“Abba, Father,” He cried out, “everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want Your will to be done, not mine.”

Mark 14:36

Surrender is simply trusting God to give us everything we need:

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:10

A Prayer to Surrender to God
Every Day No Matter What

Father, I’ll admit that I’m childish and selfishly want what I want and I want it immediately. Although I see suffering in the world around me . . . I don’t want to experience it myself. I want smooth without rough and bumpy. I want ease and comfort without discomfort and difficulty. I want blessings without challenges.

Please forgive me. I’m guilty of being short-sighted, forgetting that You know the end from the beginning—You know how this moment will affect my eternal future. You know what my soul needs most. I’m so sorry. I’m prone to being self-indulgent when You call me to sacrificial love.

By Your grace and with Your help, I will trust that You always know and do what is best. Your Word says that You want me to have a future filled with hope. (Jeremiah 29:11) You want me to be with You forever in heaven. (John 14:3) You want me to have the peace that passes understanding. (Philippians 4:7) You want me to live with wisdom and understanding. (Ephesians 1:8) You want me to KNOW, TRUST, and LOVE You, and You promise to give me everything I need to make that a reality in my life.

So, Father, I surrender myself to You. With Your Spirit’s help, I will follow where You lead and do Your will as You reveal it to me. Help me live this promise – that I may live this day for Your glory. In the name of my Savior, Jesus. Amen. 

Friend, the truth is . . . God’s love for us is so great and His grace is so sufficient that He offers freedom to tantrum-throwing spoiled children and waits patiently when we cry, “I don’t want to!” 

But through it all, He never stops whispering, “Let it go. Trust me.“

What are you holding in a clenched fist? Are you ready to surrender it all to God?

As a little extra inspiration, I love this quote from Andrew Murray:

 “May not a single moment of my life be spent outside the light, love, and joy of God’s presence and not a moment without the entire surrender of myself as a vessel for Him to fill full of His Spirit and His love.”

May God be with you and bless you as He gives you everything you need to surrender completely to His love.

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