When we come to Jesus and accept Him as our Lord and Savior, we are full of joy and excitement to surrender our lives to Him. The truth is that surrendering our lives to the Lord is not a one-time event, but it is a daily decision that requires intentionally yielding our will to His will.
Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for
“God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble.”
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:5-7
To live fully for God begins with a surrendered life, and we cannot have a surrendered life apart from being humble before God. When we humble ourselves before the Lord, we make the declaration that God is in charge of our lives and that we trust Him. On the other hand, pride declares that life can be handled apart from God. The former opens the door to God’s grace to take over, and the latter causes God to resist the person.
Many people seek success in life by making their plans rather than allowing God to lead and guide them to the success and contentment that He has planned for them. We live in a culture of making plans and setting goals. People are taught to have short-term and long-term goals and are encouraged to make things happen. There is nothing wrong with setting goals in life as long as we remain flexible and submitted to the Father.
People are not in charge of their future, so to determine what would be important five years from now, sometimes, is just an exercise in futility. It is important to be wise and make decisions that take into account the future, but only God knows the future and what the person will need. When we live a surrendered life, we trust God’s plan with any change of plans. He is in charge, and He knows what is best, and we trust that He has a good plan.
Daniel’s life exemplifies a surrendered life. He was living his life as a noble in Israel until the Babylonians took siege of Jerusalem and brought Daniel and a few others to the palace to serve the Babylonian king. The scripture does not tell us that he complained about his situation, and neither do we see him rebelling against God or the king. He continued to live a surrendered life, and he prioritized obedience to God when there was a conflict between the expectation of the king and God’s rulership. He did not seek any position, honor, or glory for himself. He served God with humility and did his work with excellence where God had placed him.
A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps. Proverbs 16:9
If we truly are living a surrendered life, we would not fight against God’s plan, but we would be open to what the Lord is doing. There is no need to strive, push, and try to make things happen. A surrendered life is a peaceful and calm life. It diminishes worry and stress and allows us to grow in intimacy with God and in enjoying our relationship with Him. The above scripture is a reminder that God is in the business of directing our steps. He intends to direct our steps when we are yielded to him.
Do you live a surrendered life? Do you find yourself frustrated with the lack of answers? Do you feel like it is your responsibility to open doors of opportunity? Or are you able to rest without striving?
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