Surrendered Yet?
You know, it is amazing when we think that we know how to surrender and try to do it the same way as previously when we surrendered to God's will before. For the past 3 weeks, I've been in alot of heart pain and a mode of surrendering... or so I thought. Yet, although I was saying the words, "Thy will be done", and praying that He change "my will to His will", and although I surrendered everything that made me who I am... my plans, my dreams, my desires, my goals, my possessions, my wants and wishes, my work, my heart, my spirit, my mind, my love. For 3 weeks, I continually surrendered these things everyday... sometimes it took every hour because sometimes I would try to take back control because of the heart pain that was there and realizing that I needed to trust that God knows what He is doing and will work things out. There is a good and very relevant scripture in Romans 8:28 that says: "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose."
I love God, therefore, I needed to re-learn how to give up control of my life to Him and surrender completely all of me and allow His purpose to occur. It was a heart-breaking, mind-altering, spirit-surrendering, relationship-connecting experience with God... and it's not over yet. He is just beginning!
You see, I thought I knew how to surrender... and I did because I've done it many time before in different ways and for different reasons or purposes. But, I found out that there are different ways and different depths of surrendering.
Different Levels Of Surrender
Superficial: You can surrender at the superficial level where it is just surrendering something that will make barely a little change and requires a minor sacrifice, but nothing painstaking. This surrender is more for show of what others will see than for a change in the actual person.
Subcutaneous: You can surrender at the subcutaneous level where it is something that is hitting closer to home and closer to your private life, but not every aspect of your life. It will make a bit of a change and requires a sacrifice... and yes, it hurts a bit. However, it still isn't a deep enough cut into who you are as a person to change you systemically.
Heart, Mind, & Spirit Level: The best type of surrender is the Heart, Mind, & Spirit level where you are surrendering everything that makes you who you are and willing for God to tear you apart, break you up and melt you down. This level is a complete surrender and therefore complete sacrifice is required and can be extremely painful. Anything and everything that is dear to you, you are surrendering to God. Did you get offered the job that you've been trying to get for several years and they are finally taking notice of you? A Heart, Mind, & Spirit level of surrender tells you that you are surrendering your heart & mind to God to make your spirit one with Him and are willing to even walk away from the job if He says to do so. Are you in love and want to be with someone who loves you and you know is a perfect match for you. A Heart, Mind & Spirit level of surrender will give this love and this person up to God and allow Him to choose for you and even pace out the relationship at the speed that He decides. You are giving God permission to either do away with it or keep it and utilize it for His will and glory according to as His providence shall indicate. This Heart, Mind, & Spirit level of surrender hurts because it is reaching way down into the depths of your very being and allowing God to rebuild you from scratch... if necessary. It is usually a very painful ordeal, especially if you are trying to surrender but still holding on to some control, because this type of surrender is dealing with absolutely everything in your life. This is where you have completely opened up yourself, your life, and your hands and have lifted them to God and have given all to Him to do with as He wills.
By having this type of surrender, once you are rebuilt and molded into what God wants you to be, it will open your eyes to see things that you couldn't see before because you were blind. It will enlighten your mind to discern things that you weren't able to before, because of the clutter of life. It will form a stronger connection to God, thus enhancing your relationship with Him because you finally stopped fighting against Him.
So, the question is... Are YOU fully, completely, and utterly, surrendered yet? If not, I invite you to surrender now. Don't wait! Give it all up and be still, and know that He is God!