December 10, 2023
Today we’re talking about surrender to God. Surrender can sound like a losing strategy. But surrender is not failure or defeat. It’s just that you and I like our lives to stay on an easy path. Surrender to God takes us off the easy familiar path we try to stay on and puts us on God’s path.
Surrender is the opposite of control. We can’t control life as much as we think. Thursday, I knew snow was in the forecast, and I left home in Tamaqua early so I could get to Tower City for the Williams Valley ministerium. It was snowing all the way. I made it to the Tower City exit off I-81. But traffic was stopped. There was an accident. I sat there for an hour and a half. It was frustrating, I didn’t expect to have to wait.
I could control the temperature in the car, play the radio, and look at Facebook. On Facebook I saw there were people I knew sitting in traffic, too! But I couldn’t get to where I wanted when I wanted! We can’t control as much as we think we can in life. So, what do you do in that situation? Can you smile when you sit in stopped traffic? Or is a traffic jam something that you find really frustrating?
We all battle with some area where we want control. I have been that mom who wants to wash a spot off my kid, or husband, with a spit bath. And they love that!
Kevin’s thing is he likes to keep our glass stovetop spotless and without a scratch! After we bought the stove, he bought a lot of new pots and pans, because the old ones might scratch it. He also got a stove cleaning kit, with polish, a special razor blade, and special cleaning cloths. But we still got a few tiny scratches.
Some people like to control their lawn. They have to mow the lawn, so the lines are just right. And some people even want perfect lines when they vacuum.
It’s fun to make fun of this issue. But the reality is whenever we’re trying to control something that’s not ours to control, it is a spiritual problem. What we’re trying to do in this one area of our life is we are trying to be like God. I want to control because I know what’s best! But we’re not God.
Surrender to God comes when we come to the end of us, when we realize we can’t fix or figure everything out. We’re tired of trying. When we surrender, we relax, we realize it’s ok not to know what to do. We don’t send up a white flag when we surrender. We just give up on the idea that we should or can manage the situation or control it. We realize we’re not in charge and that God is.
We see Mary battle for control when the angel Gabriel comes to her. Mary is engaged to Joseph, when the angel says in Luke 1:28, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” It sounds like a wonderful greeting, but Mary is suspicious! Verse 29 says, Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.
We humans are this way! When an angel comes from God, we think, this is way out of control! It can’t be good! The angel reassures her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.” Then Gabriel gives her the plan: you’ll have a baby and name him Jesus. He will be the Son of the Most High and his Kingdom will never end.
Mary has a question, and we would too! We all would like to know the details if we were her! Mary asks, how can this happen, since I’m a virgin? If she gets pregnant now, before she’s married, what will Joseph think? What will everybody think?
Gabriel says she will become pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Jesus will be the Son of God. Gabriel adds that even your relative Elizabeth, who everyone thought could never have a child, plus she’s way too old to have one, even she is going to have a baby! What God says will happen is going to happen!
This is the place where Mary stops worrying, stops trying to figure everything out. She can’t understand it all. But she basically says, That’s cool, I’m going to do what God’s says. May everything you say come true! Here’s what she says: “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.” Mary surrenders! She has no idea where all this is going. But she won’t argue anymore with the angel. She’s going to meet life as it is. She’s at peace! Mary teaches us: When you try to control what you can’t, you get anxious. When you give it to God you get peace.
How do you get to that point of surrender, where you trust God and receive his peace? Here’s how: First I want you to think of an area you’re trying to control. Maybe you want to get all “A” s in school. Or maybe you want to control your kids, or your grown kids. Or you’re trying to control your job, or your finances. Are you trying to control your spouse?
In so many areas of my life that I’m wrongly trying to control, I’m going to choose surrender over control. I want to give you three big questions to help you answer whether it’s time for surrender or control.
Question number one is, you ask yourself, “Is it worth my concern?” Let’s say you point out to your kids or spouse or employees all that you wish they did differently: you say, “This is bad, this is bad, this is bad,” and you don’t mention all the great things they are doing. You’re making everybody miserable, right? You need some tolerance for things being a little bit different than the way you would do them. You have to surrender some things, more minor things. So, ask yourself, is it worth my concern?
The second question to ask yourself is,
Is this a thing I can do something about?” God won’t do everything for you. God wants you to do some things for yourself. You still need to be responsible. For example, if you messed up financially, you don’t say, “God’s going to come through for me,” and then sit back and do nothing. No, maybe you need to go to work, or not spend so much. Do something about it. You ask yourself, “Is this a thing I can do something about?” If it is, you do your something. If there’s nothing you can do about the situation, you move on to question three.
So, the first question is, “Is it worth my concern.” The second question is, “Is this a thing I can do something about?” The third question is, “Is this something only God can change?” If it’s something only God can change, take it to God. Paul says in Philippians chapter 4: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your request to God.” We pray, knowing God hears. We come to God with thanksgiving, because we know he loves us and he’s working for us for good. Phil. 4:7 promises, “The peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” You’ll have peace. With surrender comes peace.
Sometimes you can’t do anything about a situation. Can you change your spouse? No, you can’t, but God can. Can you control your kids’ future? No, you can’t. But God can. You surrender the things that only God can change.
So, my homework for you this week is to think of some area of your life where you are most controlling. Use those three questions to figure out in this situation how you can experience God’s peace.
You aren’t as in control of life as you think. You can try to control others and try to control frustrating situations. But you can’t fix everything and everybody. When you try to control what you can’t, you get anxious. When you give it to God, you get peace. God is with you and for you. When you come to the end of you and surrender, you come to the beginning of God, and receive his peace. Amen.
Maureen Duffy-Guy's blog 