"Fearlessly Surrender"

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When the Lord showed me over and over again, that the word "Surrender" would be our standard operating procedure for 2024, I will admit, I had a bit of apprehension. As I thought about surrendering in the earthly realm, nothing good came to mind. But as He began to unpack what it would look like for Arise Daughter and for me personally I let my fears have their voice.

And then, their voice faded.

And then, when the Vision Board came forth, I settled into the excitement of it.

And then, my trust grew as He brought peace into my swirling fears. Peace that has and will continue to surpass my current understanding is, well, priceless for the journey ahead.

Dear reader, I wanted to share just a few of the questions He answered for me while preparing me to accept defeat:

an we surrender in love?

• Can we surrender to God without love?

1 Corinthians 13:3 AMP — If I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it does me no good at all.

This struggle of surrendering our will to God's seems like a constant tug of war. We say we want what He wants but in reality we really want it how we think we can handle it.

Which in essence is putting conditions on our terms of surrender. 

Do we love God enough to do what He asks of us in His way or not?

The ultimate answer for a Christ-follower must be 'yes' but as with any true and worthy sacrifice,  it must be done in love.

You don't hear of earthly enemies surrendering to one another in love.

So, aren't we treating God like our enemy if we aren't submitting in love? If we aren't working in love, giving with love, preaching with love, walking in love then any sacrifice is in vain.  Don't offer yourself to God's Kingdom work if it's not a love offering. 

Give all in love.

• Can we surrender to God without fear?

1 John 4:18 AMP — There is no fear in love [dread does not exist]. But perfect (complete, full-grown) love drives out fear, because fear involves [the expectation of divine] punishment, so the one who is afraid [of God’s judgment] is not perfected in love [has not grown into a sufficient understanding of God’s love].

In the natural world, when an enemy surrenders to his foe, he can be expected to be a least a little afraid of what will happen to him in captivity. After all, the victor has total control.

Sometimes we treat God as our foe. We seem to fear what God will do with our unconditional "yes". We ask questions like: 'Will the cost be too high?' 'What exactly will I have to forfeit?' When we needlessly worry about such things it can create a wedge instead of a bridge to our God who wants total control of all of our lives.

Here's the thing: in our own strength it will be impossible to fearlessly surrender. Let's face it: many of us have trust issues when it comes to putting God's agenda ahead of our own. Our past issues with trusting God may rear their ugly heads as we contemplate what true surrender could look like.

Lack of trust is actually a lack of love.

It is only through the example of our Lord, Savior, King and Shepherd Jesus that any relinquishing of our own will is possible. And it is a big reason why He sent the Holy Spirit in His place to guide us on this seemingly nerve wracking journey; one in which He knew we could never accomplish alone.

Practice with surrendering and making peace will help in perfecting our faith and loving our God even more. Try a few of these tested suggestions:

1. Pray to be a useful sacrifice and to be continually renewed (Romans 12:1- AMP). 1 Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies [dedicating all of yourselves, set apart] as a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your rational (logical, intelligent) act of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you]. Ephesians 4:23).

2. Seek to become a spiritually mature believer by accepting the calling and equipping of God. (Ephesians 4:12-13 AMP). 13 until we all reach oneness in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, [growing spiritually] to become a mature believer, reaching to the measure of the fullness of Christ [manifesting His spiritual completeness and exercising our spiritual gifts in unity].

3. Practice Peace. (Ephesians 4: 3 AMP). 3 Make every effort to keep the oneness of the Spirit in the bond of peace [each individual working together to make the whole successful]. Luke 10:5-6 AMP 5 "Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace [that is, a blessing of well-being and prosperity, the favor of God] to this house.' 6 "And if anyone of peace is there [someone who is sweet-spirited and hospitable], your [blessing of] peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you.

4. Seek the best for your enemies. (Matthew 5:44 AMP.) 44 "But I say to you, love [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for] your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

I pray this is the start of a newly surrendered life for you. May you be filled with the wonder and joy of all that God can do with you and through you for His glory!

Song: Lord, Make Me Over by Tonex