Surrender, Selah

"And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”"

-Matthew 26:39 (ESV)-

     Surrender. Selah. Ah. Sounds relaxing, doesn't it? For some of us, it's difficult - really difficult. For others, we become hesitant. And still others, terrifying yet appealing.

     When we go through trials, whether we realize it or not, we are given an opportunity. The most natural reaction is to moan and groan in anger, annoyance or self-pity. Come on, admit it. Have you received news you were not expecting? Did it knock the air out of you? Let me guess what your immediate reaction was not: to fall on your knees praising God for giving you this trial. Or could it be?

     Yes, the answer is: it should be. We should be praising God for all that floats through our world at any given time. Let's change up our perspective on some things:

1) Traffic: An opportunity for patience and prayer/worship time.

2) Loss of job OR promotion that takes away time you need in your day: Sole reliance on God. Reliance to bring you through the hard times of a financial loss. Reliance to bring you through the challenging times of finding balance in your work and personal time.

3) Flu or stomach bug: rest for the body, more prayer/worship time.

These are just simple examples. Today, I'm challenging you to take an "unfortunate" experience and turn it into a fortunate trial that will build you up and increase your character in some way.

Even if you have trouble with this, the very first step is to surrender it. Whatever it is in your life, imagine putting it into a box. Then, pray over the box and give it to Jesus. Literally, picture him sitting or standing in front of you (because he is) and surrender this thing to him (because he's happy to take your burden). Then, wait. He will fill you with as much peace and joy as you allow him. The more you give him, the more you get back.

Surrender is not an easy thing. If this is hard for you, tell him (he knows!). And the best part about admitting that to him? Because he was in the same exact spot. He asked God to take his trial from him, but the most beautiful thing about Jesus is that after all he went through he still desired God's will and not his own.

Let's pray today: "God, you are my God and I am grateful for your Son. He gives me an excellent example to relate to when I struggle with surrendering. Holy Spirit, I ask that you reveal to me and make known why I struggle with surrender. Show me what fear is keeping me from trusting you completely. For I know that by scripture I must trust in you and lean not on my own understanding. Help me to believe this today. Jesus, thank you for being the friend that I can give my burden to. Thank you for hearing me, and accepting me just as I am. In your name, Amen."

Selah.