The Surrendered Life!
Happy Monday, friends,
It's the day after Easter. For many of us, Resurrection Sunday stirred our hearts with gratitude for what Jesus has done for us. You're not alone if you sensed spiritual renewal and a desire to renew your commitment to God.
And yet, it's Monday. Some of us are waking up to a renewed faith that is already being tested by real life!
How do we continue to live in the victory that Jesus won for us on the cross? How do we trust God and stay encouraged when we look at our lives, our families, our finances, or our relationships and want to pull our hair out?
I love what the late Tim Keller said: “If Jesus Christ was actually raised form the dead. If he really got up, walked out, was seen by hundreds of people, and talked to them, then everything is going to be alright. Whatever you're worried about - whatever you're afraid of, everything is going to be okay.”
To help us walk in Jesus' victory for these next few weeks after Easter, I'm kicking off a new Happy Monday series called “The Surrendered Life,” and as Jesus trusted God with his life, even when it was hard, we can trust God with our lives, even when it's hard. Trust often looks like surrender, and if you're like me, letting go of control isn't easy.
It's hard to care about someone or something so much and not fix it.
It's tough to be patient and let God work things out in His time.
Sometimes, we don't know how to stop being the Fixer, the Savings & Loan, or the Glue to tries to hold everyone together.
Why do we default to fix, even when we know it's not good for us or them?
Here's my belief: Often, our desire to control arises from the secret fear that God won't get it right. It's a fear that God won't get through to your loved one or He won't fix the crisis in time.
Easter demonstrates that the same God who raised Jesus from the dead is at work in EVERYTHING you've been trying to control. Your efforts to fix or force solutions won't mess up God's power, but your efforts to fix or control will wreck your peace.
During “The Surrendered Life” series, we'll look at six Surrendered Principles from my popular Surrendered: Letting Go and Living Like Jesus Bible study - which turns SIX on Tuesday! I'm including an advanced peek of all six principles in this graphic (see below) that you can save on your phone. Which one of these catches your eye today? Next week, we'll start with Surrender Principle #1 and go from there.
For now, I'd like to offer one practical, but powerful surrender prayer to help you today and the rest of this week. As you've read, did you feel God's prompting to let go of something beyond your control? Dear friend, let me help you be obedient to that leading. Here is a prayer that you can use. This is my favorite surrender prayer from my Stronger Than Stress book and Bible study:
PRAYER: God, I can't. But You can. I will let You. Amen.
Who or what do you need to pray this over? This prayer isn't for God, this prayer for you! This prayer releases you from the weight and responsibility that only God can carry. He can handle it - all of it, my friend. All of it.
Letting go isn't easy. God can do more than you could ever ask or imagine when you trust Him. It's okay if you need to repeat that little prayer a few times until your heart settles on giving the person or matter into His care and His timing.
I'm looking forward to the upcoming series with you!
ARE YOU TRYING TO TRUST GOD, BUT STILL HOLDING TIGHTLY TO CONTROL?
My Surrendered: Letting Go and Living Like Jesus Bible study is my most popular study! This six-week study offers a powerful, Scripture-based Bible study that helps women release control and fully trust God in every area of life. Rooted in Jesus’ time of testing in the wilderness, this study reveals how surrender is not weakness, but the ONLY path to God's peace, freedom, and spiritual strength.
