Beauty in Surrender

There's beauty in surrender. Often times the vision of surrender I think we can have in our minds is losing a war. Raising our white flag, admitting defeat, choosing to give in. But surrender to the Lord allows for so many new beginnings and unexpected outcomes. The Lord wants our hearts, fully open to Him. As someone who has been on both sides, keeping my heart open, and closing it out of fear and out of desire for control, I can say, He does so much more with our obedience. When our hearts are surrendered to Him, He doesn't hold anything back. But He is also righteously protective of it. You see, surrender of the heart to the One who created it, only places it in the hands of the One who knows it best, the Maker. We strive to protect our hearts, hurts can cause fear of keeping it open. But, from my experience, the Lord doesn't punish obedience or surrender, He blesses it. The blessing may not look like we expect it to, but He sees the whole picture. He doesn't just bless us for the moment, His plan, His way is best, in the moment, and in the long run. There's a song by LO Worship called "Open." I remember listening to this song a few months ago with so many tears, trying to trust and believe that His way is best. A few days ago, the song came on again, and I just felt the Lord reminding me, "look at what I can do with an open, surrendered heart." I was reminded of how faithful God has been and how it required positioning myself to humility. The whole song is about keeping our heart open to Him and His ways, not our own. Maybe you're in a season where it's difficult to open your heart. To let go. To trust. There's fear and the thought that when our heart is in our hands, it is safe. I get it. But, I think, the One who made our heart is the One who is most equipped to protect it, mend it, hold it, and preserve it. One of the lines in the song says "This is the death of my ambitions. I know Your ways are always best." Choosing the death of our desires isn't easy, but it is how we can honor and bring the most glory to Him. Positioning ourselves for surrender requires trust and faith that His way is best, no matter how the situation may seem through our human minds. We never see moments as the whole picture. We just see them as they come, not what they could become, what they could be used for. A heart surrendered to God requires a few things. 1. It requires a posture of humility. Laying down us, picking up Him and HIs way. 2. It requires faith. We must trust that God's Word is true and that His way is better than our own. We can remind ourselves of this by looking at His Word and looking at past circumstances from our lives. Though, scripture is filled with how God's way was and is so much better than our own. Isaiah even tells us that His ways are higher than ours. 3. It requires willingness. A heart surrendered in stubbornness is a heart that will not thrive under God's guidance. When we're forced into something we didn't want to do in the first place stubbornness increases, and we don't take direction from others well. Especially when the person trying to give us direction is the one we were forced to surrender/submit to. Our human response to that doesn't change with God. God knows this, which is why forcing us to surrender isn't something He does. He waits for us to choose to trust. 4. Full surrender requires surrender of everything, not just what we want to surrender. We do not get to pick and choose what we give to God and what we keep the reigns to. It's all or nothing. You can't fully surrender control over your family and try to fully control work. You're not postured to surrender. Surrender to God, and open heart, requires full surrender of control so God can have full control. Fully surrender everything or you've fully surrendered nothing. Control runs culture right now. Everyone wants to be in power, everyone wants to sit at the control panel, of not just their lives, but everyone else's too. Whoever is sitting at the control panel of your life will dictate your decisions, path, attitude, and emotions. You cannot have two different people sitting at the control panel. It's either all you, all the world, or all God. If it's God and a little bit you, it's you. If it's a lot of God and a little world, you've deceived yourself, the world has the voice. Choose wisely who/what you open your heart to. Ask yourself if its surrender to the Creator or created things. We live in a culture that looks like Romans 1:25,

"They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator- who is forever praised. Amen."

At what cost will you continue to choose your way? When will you realize how little you're trusting Him? Many wars end worse than they should because someone doesn't choose surrender. How many more times will you let yourself be a casualty of pride, control, and temptation? He's waiting for you to choose surrender. Open your heart to Him. He blesses obedience. When we give Him everything, He does not short us of His best. All He desires is a surrendered heart (Psalm 51:17, 1 Samuel 15:22). An open heart becomes flexible, less offended by sudden changes, because it knows the One who holds it will do nothing to harm it. As any inventor is protective of their invention, so is God mightily and righteously protective of each of our hearts. Surrender of the heart to Him, while it may feel the least protected, is actually the most protected.

"This is the start of resurrection

Where new beginnings come from death

I'm gonna trust You with my future

Lord, I surrender to Your plan

I leave my heart open

Open to You

I'm holding back nothing from You

Nothing from You."

-Open, LO Worship

Let this be our posture. It will take diligence. It will be a daily surrender. But let whatever comes land at His Feet.