Surrendering to Find Victory

There are few things as frustrating as losing your keys. Years ago, we had been invited over for dinner at our Campus Pastor's house. It was a cold winter day, so I had a sweater and a jacket over it. On the way into the house, I realized that sometime between leaving the car and entering their home, I had lost track of my keys. I looked around frantically under the car, in the many piles of leaves, and everywhere else they might have fallen.

Angela went inside with our daughter Mia while Ryan came outside to assist in the search. We prayed to find them. I searched my jacket pockets for the twentieth time. After 15-20 minutes of hunting for those little pieces of metal, I finally decided I would give up for now and go inside for dinner. I had to trust that God would take care of me and help me uncover my keys' hiding spot.

As I removed my jacket in the warmth of their home, I made a hilarious discovery. I had placed my keys inside my sweater's pocket. Since my coat was puffy, I hadn't felt the keys nestled safely under all those layers. They were with me the whole time, waiting for me to give up before I could find them.

Here is what I learned from this experience: It is good and right to do all that you can to make something work out well. We should search for peace, joy, a harmonious marriage, and satisfying careers. Working hard is a God-given gift that brings redemption to a broken world. However, at some point, we need to release any control we imagine we have and trust God to come through for us. When we surrender in the right ways, we will find that we get what we need.

Jesus modeled this tension of working hard and yielding entirely. His entire life reflected this ideal. On the final night before his horrific death, he wrestled with his body's desire to avoid pain and its momentary mortality. However, he still submitted to God's/his will.

And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will." (Mark 14:35-36 ESV)

Jesus' body wanted to live, but he trusted that by letting it die, he would bring eternal life to many. He modeled for us what it looks like to surrender into a position of victory:

I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives. (John 12:24 NLT)

Practical Surrender

There are a few ways to create rhythms of yielding to God's good plan for us. One that I've found to be most profound in my life and so many Christian writings is that of a weekly sabbath. I've covered this in other posts on this site that you can check out here.

By setting aside 24 hours each week where we lay down our work and pick up rest, we will find that God does come through for us. Sabbath is about the direction of our hearts, not just the lack of work.

Another form of surrender that we can embrace is to share our struggles with trustworthy people. When we unburden ourselves with God in prayer and friends in our communities, we let go of the need to carry everything in quiet desperation. I find that when I stop striving by myself and instead let my worries out into the open, they lose their power over me.

Question:

What are some ways that you could yield to God's will and timing? What would happen if you did this? How can you influence your community to live like this?