I realize my surrender began three years ago.  When I rolled over and ran back to God.  To Jesus.I’ve just finished the book Anything by Jennie Allen.  Good stuff.  I wanted to share some of my favorite quotes with you here:

• “The only exercise that works 100 percent of the time to draw one close to the real God is risk.”
• “To risk is to willingly place your life in the hand of an unseen God and an unknown future, then to watch him come through.  He starts to get real when you live like that.”
• “God is an anchor in the midst of the difficult chaos of this world.  The chaos will be resolved.  It will.  As Oswald Chambers said, ‘Faith is deliberate confidence in the character of God whose ways you may not understand at the time.’”

“How does one completely surrender?”  It’s a question that I ponder myself…because I love to talk about the concept of surrender.   And I’m still formulating an answer to this one.  Because I don’t have it figured out.  But I think the quotes above help steer me in the right direction.  And it’s something that we choose into daily.I surrender with the little things:

• When I hush the voice from within that tells me I’m not acceptable unless I am thinner.
• When I’m in a room with a beautiful woman (and my husband is with me, too).
• When I have a list of to-do’s for the day and I can’t seem to get any of them done because it’s one thing after another with my two small boys.

I surrender with the big things:

• Letting go of my career and chasing after God’s plan.
• Allowing myself to consider what breaks my heart and then imagining the impossible:  doing something about it.
• Releasing my husband and knowing that the choices he makes are his own.  Yes, they effect me; but I have no control over him.

Really, I think complete surrender involves trusting God, having faith that His plan is better than mine, and believing the truth rather than hearing the lies.  It equates to Freedom And Peace.And it’s difficult.  I’d much rather control, manipulate, medicate.  But I’m beginning to see the fruits of surrender and I want more of it…I want complete surrender.  So, I try to let go even more.  One step in front of the other.

“Anyone who holds onto life just as it is destroys that life.  But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you’ll have it forever, real and eternal.  John 12:25  (The Message)

Is there anything right now you feel God pressing on your heart to Surrender to Him?  Think about what it could look like to let go and trust.  What are some practical steps you can take today to move towards complete surrender?