Easy to say; hard to do. Surrender. God is teaching me to surrender everything. Period. It's difficult to let go of my will and desires, but when I give up even the little things, God lavishes an abundance of peace on me. It's amazing how faithful he is. He's such a wonderful God, and I can't thank him enough for all that he's given me. In this season, I treasure his peace, particularly in the area of boys and getting a boyfriend. I kind of want a boyfriend, but there's only one guy that I like, and we're just friends. I'm weird in that I've only ever really liked two boys, and I liked the one all through high school. He was the only one that I was interested in. I wouldn't have gone out with anyone else, even though I never got asked out. Now, I like someone else, and I have the same mindset. He's the only one I want to date. I don't like anyone else. But I'm afraid that that's awfully close-minded and I'm just setting myself up for disappointment and sorrow if he decides to date someone else, like the first guy I liked did. Surrendering relationships has always been a difficult action for me to take. I'm loyal, and I like my friends. They're mine, right? Wrong. Everything I have been given is from God, and he can take whatever he wants, anytime. Then why it is so hard to surrender? If he already owns it all, why do we as humans claim ownership, too? I don't have all the answers, but I know that sin deceives us and makes us prideful, which affects every area of our lives. Instead of trusting God, we become greedy, seeking to please ourselves. However, since our purpose is to glorify God, and every good and perfect gift we have is from him (James 1:17), letting God have full control is something we need to learn to do. I'm still working on it, and I know that I will always be. I'm not sure if I'll ever get married, but if that's God's plan for my life, I know that he will be faithful in accomplishing it. God is faithful in my weakness, and he'll be faithful in your times of weakness, too.
The following verses show surrender to the God of the universe. I want to only desire God, now and forever!
You're all I want in heaven!
You're all I want on earth!
When my skin sags and my bones get brittle,
God is rock-firm and faithful.
Look! Those who left you are falling apart!
Deserters, they'll never be heard from again.
But I'm in the very presence of God—
oh, how refreshing it is!
I've made Lord God my home.
God, I'm telling the world what you do!
-Psalm 37:25-28 {The Message}
Have a blessed day in sweet surrender to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
In Christ,
Jessica
Jessica, what you wrote about surrending is just beautiful! You have incredible deep spiritual insight. Martin Luther said that everything he has held in his hands he has lost, but what he placed in GOD'S hands, he now has! A wise friend told me years ago, hold everything (career, ministry, friends, boyfriends, etc.) in the palm of your OPEN hand always read to let go, if God so chooses. And live one day at a time not looking back or forward but living present tense. That is certainly very very hard to do. I still have not mastered this art after almost 50 years of knowing the Lord! I think it is wonderful you are friends with this fellow you are interested in. Very healthy to develop friendships with the opposite sex. You can get to know someone far better in a friendship then in a dating relationship. You can relax and be yourself. Then when friendship turns into love (which it does many times) you are now best friends with the person you love! Wonderful to marry your best friends!!! Well, enough of my advice!!! I can look back on things I wanted badly, and can thank the Lord I never got them, including guys I had crushes on!!! I see some of them now and REALLY thank God I didn't marry them!!! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the encouragement, Nancy! It really helped me feel better!! Thanks for taking the time to share that with me. :)
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