Before I succumbed to the nasty flu bug that will take down even the strongest among us, God began stirring together a list of possible words for this year. He always does it in the gentlest of ways and never allows the word to shine brightly in neon for me to see. I believe God enjoys the process of watching me discover my one word as much as He does in leaving a trail for me to follow.

As I began hearing the whisper of possible words, one of the ways God gets my attention is for me to read it in Scripture and other books or even in prayer. My first thoughts leaned toward the word “release” and then “let go”. I must say I am a rule follower so “let go” was scratched off the list. Eventually, I landed on surrender.

[Tweet “God loves the task of seeing me discover my one word as much as He loves leaving a trail to follow.”]

I played with each of the words and did a little word study. Google tells me release means to “set free”. It also says surrender means “to submit to authority or abandon oneself entirely to”. The word surrender pops up as a synonym for release. But in digging deeper, I knew that surrender is the word that God wants me to focus on for 2018. Release feels like a one and done action while surrender feels like a process. I have a year to dig deep, allow God to teach me how to repent and surrender every part of who I am and learn how to be whole in Him.

I furiously began typing all the reasons God chose the word surrender. At the same time, I chided myself inside because what God is saying right now will grow and expand as I surrender or abandon myself to Him. There is no need for me to lay everything on the table in the second week of January. God’s work will unfold as He wills and my heart will become God’s in this process.

What God is beginning to show me right now is:

Surrender is about obedience.

The process of letting go is not about me, but all about God.

When I feel the need to grab control is the exact moment that I need to release the control to God. 

Surrender involves craving order and space – a way to simplify the abundance in your life. 

I am already floored by God’s goodness in giving me the word surrender this year. If I learn how to do any of the four things I listed above even a little bit better, I will know success. God wants all of me and ultimately I desire all of Him. It sounds like a win-win to me.

I want to leave you with several Scriptures as I wrap up. I believe without a doubt that in the process of surrendering to God, He will make all things new. The old is gone and the new will take its place.

Forget the former things;
    do not dwell on the past.
 See, I am doing a new thing!
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:18-19

As we lay it all down with a humble heart, God says:

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

Today I am praying for all of you as we begin a new year full of expectant hope. May God do the work for you that He is capable of doing. He desires to see the smile on your faces as you surrender control to Him.

Blessings,

You may find me linking up at these lovely blogs this week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo by Maarten Deckers on Unsplash

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