The Gift of Surrender

So lately I’ve been reading this amazing book called “The Victory of Surrender” by Gordon Ferguson. It was recommended to me by someone who pinpointed the struggle with control I was having in truly being able to trust God with my life. I’m only in the 6th chapter of this book but it’s changing my walk with God in a radical way. So here’s the story….

I’ve come to realize that I have a really hard trusting God in scenarios that don’t make logical sense to me. A lot of the time I’m like God 2 + 2 = 4 it’s that simple. Then God is like yeah, but 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 also = 4 (face palm). The point that I’m getting at is that I often want things to be as simple as 1 2 3. If this happens then this is the result. Easy! God on the other hand often wants to take me the looooooooong route to refine my character and bring me close to him and just tire me out! (just kidding, hehe). I’ve learned about myself that I tend to often draw a fine line in the sand and say okay God this is my level of comfort. Beyond this point I’m not sure that you’re really working on my behalf. I’m not sure that this is working for my good. I’m not sure that I want to do this anymore either. So as I’ve contemplated continuing to follow God despite my level of discomfort I’ve been taken back to some key passages that were a huge part of my making the decisions to truly follow Christ 3 years ago. Let’s back up a second so that I am completely clear. Yes, when I get uncomfortable and feel like I am about to be out here looking foolish for the sake of following Christ I start to reconsider! So just know it gets real! Okay, back to the point.

My reconsiderations brought  me back to crucial passages about following Jesus. In the gospels Jesus instructed those who wanted to follow him to count the cost before doing so (Luke 14: 25-33 also see Luke 9:57-62). In a nutshell Jesus basically said think long and hard before you decide to follow me because this isn’t an easy lifestyle. Said another way,  make sure you’re about that life before you call yourself a Christian. So as I revisited this text I came to realize that I was at that sort of crossroad that Jesus mentions. He mentions in his passage that a person doesn’t start to build a house without first considering how much it’s going to cost because he may run out of money. Makes sense right! With that in mind I needed to revisit what my “costs” were because I stood before a crowd on a cold November evening 3 years ago and proclaimed that Jesus is Lord after my baptism so what has changed? What changed was circumstances. My actions started to portray that Jesus can be Lord as long as I agree with his verdict. What this book has reminded me of is that my emotions and feelings are not Lord. So at whatever point what I think and feel starts to contradict with what pleases God then I need to get my feelings in line with the Bible and not vice versa.

Well let me to tell you this is no small feat. In fact it is one that I am still working towards and probably will for the rest of my life as life will bring different challenges that bring me back to this point over and over. So now that I am reminded of the fact that Jesus is Lord then I take on a whole different prideful mindset. Okay then I’ll just keep following Jesus but I’m not going to be happy about it. Haha. Ya’ll I am a mess! Like what?! So you’re just going to resolve to do something but be miserable your entire life and hope heaven comes soon?! Haha. I’m sure God just shakes his head at me. But it’s real! That’s where I find myself. Just feeling like bruh! I know I can’t not follow Jesus because that’s not going to end well. But I also don’t feel like doing this! That’s when this latest chapter in the book (chapter 6) came into play that helped me to think a little differently.

Gordon basically brought up the point that along with surrender comes freedom. When you give everything up you also don’t have anything to worry about. You know if you don’t have a car then you don’t worry a car note. If you don’t have a house you don’t stress over a mortgage. Common sense. If it’s not yours then naturally you don’t worry about it! Well guess what! My life is not my own! (1 Cor 6:19-20) Completely blown away by such a simple concept. If I truly believe that my life is not my own and that I along with everything and everybody else in this world belong to him then what is the issue? When I choose to surrender to God I also choose to sit back and allow him to handle his possessions. Like God it’s yours so you do the heavy lifting. It’s like renting a home owned by someone else. They still have responsibility for the maintenance because it’s not yours. Gordon Ferguson put it simply. He said “enjoy the dividends.” I love it!

So during this holiday season I would also like to encourage you to give yourself the gift of surrender. It’s the best gift I am going to receive this holiday season. Seriously. Give yourself the freedom, joy, and peace that comes with true surrender. Just give it all up to God. Note: this is an on going process. I personally am not “there” but I’m so encouraged so be reminded that this life and it’s challenges are not mine to figure out. That if I would truly stop trying to control then I would find the peace and joy that I am looking for by letting a sovereign God handle what is his. I’m excited to continue this journey of surrender. As you all can see my emotions are fickle so ask me about this tomorrow and I may be struggling, but I’m striving and that’s what matters! So again, give yourself (and others who are affected by your lack of surrender) the gift of surrender this Christmas. It truly is priceless.

Here is a link to the book on Amazon if you’re interested in starting your own journey of surrender –>Amazon: The Victory of Surrender If you check it out I would love to hear about how it is impacting your walk with Christ.

I’d also love to hear from all of you on topics you’re interested in. Please feel free to share  feedback and suggestions on the website in the Open Dialogue Section

Love you all much and look forward to hearing from you!

Q. Fisher

I am simply an everyday girl with the favor of God on her life. I love the things that normal people love....food, wine, people, but most importantly I live a life surrendered to Christ. I currently live in Richmond, VA but am originally from TN. I'm a country girl at heart with a love for people that I simply cannot deny. I invite you to share with me in my walk with Christ. Foundational Scripture: Matthew 7:24-25 View more posts