Surrender

 

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay 

The word surrender has cropped up several times in various ways over this last week. I believe God is giving me a New Year’s resolution.

All of these popped up this morning. 

Surrendering to God’s will, regardless of the situation, is a challenge. After all, we would have to give up our perception of control, and that's not easy. 

A friend once told me she admired how well I handled my tragedies and losses. My reply, “I had no choice.” It was true. However, in these situations, rather than wallow in self-pity, I surrendered it all to God, and things worked out better than I imagined. But not at first. I still had to deal with the physical and emotional aspects of the circumstances. Only my faith, hope of a better future, eased the pain.   

Worrying won’t change the future. Either it will happen, or it won’t. And if it does, then God will help me through it, just as He as in the past.

In Our Daily Bread for, Bill Crowder quoted theologian Jürgen Moltmann’s definition of optimism and hope from A Theology of Hope. “Optimism is based on the circumstances of the moment, but hope is rooted in God’s faithfulness — regardless of our situation.”

So Lord, I surrender my life to Your will. I’ll let you handle it, even if it’s not in the way I want. You know what I need. I also commit my loved ones into Your hands. You know their needs as well. And Lord, I pray for all those facing difficult times. Be with them. Amen.