…yet not my will, but yours be done. Luke 22:42(b)

 It’s not easy to surrender, to release control, to allow outcomes to not be determined by our plans, desires, and needs. It’s a daily struggle to truly surrender to God’s will for our lives.

For two years “surrender” was my focus word. I usually choose a new word each year, but after one year of surrendering daily, I felt that I still wasn’t where I needed to be, so I extended it. Every morning during my quiet time I’d surrender specific areas of my life that I was struggling with. Many days by lunchtime I had picked back up one or more of the issues and tried to “solve” the concerns on my own. The Holy Spirit would convict me and I’d re-surrender them to the Lord once again. Some days it was a continuous cycle. I still have areas of my life that I have to surrender daily, but there is a peace in knowing I am placing those circumstances in His hands and not carrying the load on my own.

Even Jesus struggled with the inevitable plan of the Father. He asked that His coming suffering be removed from Him if the Father would so choose, but if not, He was willing to surrender to God’s will…total surrender to God the Father.

Total surrender requires strong faith. It’s trusting Him more than ourselves. It’s believing that His plans are greater than our own. It’s sometimes choosing obedience over comfort or giving up what we hold dear in order to make room in our lives for His plan. It’s unwavering faith that God knows what’s best for us and He will provide all our needs.

Today I pray…

Lord, not my will but Yours be done. Even when it’s hard, even when I can’t understand the why, please help me to trust You. Give me the strength  to surrender and the faith to believe You are working for my good.