Friday, July 25, 2008

I surrender all!

That has been my song for the past 2 days.
I'm having a wonderful day! I'm really tired from work, it seemed to drag on and on today, but I have so much peace right now. Last night, I finally broke contact with someone who I've been needing to get away from for a while now. He's a good guy and I wish it didn't have to be this way but it does. It's not even really his fault... it's me. But nevertheless, it had to be done, for our own good. But ever since then, I have had such great peace. I had good devotions this morning and things are going good so far... granted- it's only been one day but still... :)
Here's a lesson I've had to learn more than once- If God tells you to get rid of something (or someone) in your life... DO IT! You will only be miserable until you do. You have to get rid of pride and stop worrying about what will happen and just give it to God. Easier said than done- believe me I know!
A girl in my dorm this past year did a devotion on something I will never forget. She called it the "Palms up life". She explained that when we live our life holding on to everything WE want, we live our life with closed fists. That's how you hold onto something. And if you picture someone with their fists clenched tight around something, you can imagine they would probably get tired and probably looks strained. That's how we get when we try to hold onto things that God may not want there. But if we live with our palms up (hands wide open and lifted up to God) He can take what He wants.... and also give what He wants, when He wants, when He knows it will be good for us. And that is such a more peaceful and stress-free way to live.
Ever since I heard that, every once in a while, when I feel like I'm trying to hold onto my life too much, I just literally turn my hands over and show my palms to God. Because even though I try to control everything and I want it my way a lot, deep down, I really do want what GOD wants for me. He has something so much better for me than I have planned! I know I sound all spiritual right now, but this is something that I struggle to remember. But hopefully I can help someone else to remember it.
Please read these quotes on Surrendering your life to God: Enjoy!
"Commit every particle of your being in all things, down to the smallest details of your life, eagerly and with perfect trust to the unfailing and most sure providence of God." Jean-Pierre de Caussade

"We can carry the world on our shoulders, or we can say, "I give up, Lord; here's my life. I give you my world, the whole world." Bruce Larson

"What are you afraid of? Let God act. Abandon yourself to Him. You will suffer, but you will suffer with love, peace and consolation. You will fight, but you can carry off the victory, and God Himself, after having fought with you, will crown you with His own hand. You will weep, but your tears will be sweet, and God Himself will come with satisfaction to dry them. You will not be free any longer to give yourself up to your tyrannic passions, but you will sacrifice your liberty freely, and you will enter into a new liberty unknown to the world"Francois Fenelon

"The will of God will never take you to where the grace of God will not protect you. To gain that which is worth having, it may be necessary to lose everything else." Bernadette Devlin

"The will of God for your life is simply that you submit yourself to Him each day and say,

"Father, Your will for today is mine. Your pleasure for today is mine. Your work for today is mine. I trust You to be God. You lead me today and I will follow." Kay Arthur

"God always gives His best to those who leave the choice with Him." Jim Elliot

"What 'one thing', what person, what position, what passion immediately comes to mind when you hear this question? "What one thing would you say to God.. Oh Lord, I will give you anything, I will do anything for you, I will go anywhere, I will give away anything... but that?" The answer to that question is the 'one thing' you need to give to the Lord, more than anything else. Often, when we surrender such a deep sense of ownership to the Lord, He in his loving grace will allow us to have that 'one thing' again, with the caution to remember we are only stewards of that 'one thing.' Oftentimes, He, in his wisdom, does not allow us to have that 'one thing' back. It is a step of submission and obedience; and a risk that is vitally important for the sake of our spiritual growth."-Katherine Walden (This is SO true!)

"Give your life to God; he can do more with it than you can!" Dwight L. Moody

"Lord, whatever you want, wherever you want it, and whenever you want it, that's what I want." Richard Baxter

"If my life is surrendered to God, all is well. Let me not grab it back, as though it were in peril in His hand but would be safer in mine! " Elisabeth Elliot

"People who are crucified with Christ have three distinct marks: 1. they are facing only one direction, 2. they can never turn back, and 3. they no longer have plans of their own." --A.W. Tozer

I hope that I can better learn to live this way!

2 comments:

Calvary said...

Amazing Jen! Reading your Blog is so encouraging. It reminds me that I'm not the only person who has a hard time letting people go.

Thanks for keeping the updates coming. I'm still praying for you.

Tammy said...

I'm proud of you Jen! Just keep remembering not trade Disneyland for Dimples and God will show you better than YOU imagined!
Love,
Mom