Surrender

[00:00:00] What does it take to surrender our lives to God? How can we benefit from seeking out the will of our Creator? Let's discuss.

[00:00:19] Welcome to the Walking in Step with God podcast. Here we empower you to walk boldly with God.

[00:00:26] Visit our website at walkinginstepwithgod.org for resources, videos of our messages, and more information about our ministry.

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[00:00:42] Hello. Welcome to Walking in Step with God. I'm Steve McDonald.

[00:00:46] Today we explore the topic, Surrender, as we continue our series, Grow Deeper in Faith.

[00:00:54] Today let's discuss the idea of what it means to surrender our hearts, our minds, and our lives to God.

[00:01:02] We live in a society that is focused on self.

[00:01:05] We are surrounded by influences that suggest to us that we should focus on enriching our lives and living life to its fullest potential.

[00:01:15] There are signals all around us to pursue wealth, power, fame, and even social status.

[00:01:24] Don't get me wrong, our culture also encourages being kind and giving.

[00:01:29] We should always look for opportunities to give to others in need.

[00:01:33] Today, however, I want to drill down into what it means to modify your lifestyle from seeking ways to stay in complete control of your destiny,

[00:01:42] to surrendering it to God.

[00:01:46] When I speak of surrendering to God, it is not a suggestion to have no goals, hopes, or dreams.

[00:01:52] Instead, it is the idea that we may have goals, hopes, and dreams, but we yield and seek God's will for our lives.

[00:02:02] Surrendering to God means prioritizing His will for our life above our own will.

[00:02:09] Today, let's explore three reasons why we should surrender our lives to God.

[00:02:14] Let's learn how our lives can be forever changed by making the decision that God's will and plans come first and foremost,

[00:02:24] even if they are not what we had in mind for our lives.

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[00:02:51] Before we dive in, let's take a quick break.

[00:02:53] I'll be right back.

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[00:03:51] Welcome back.

[00:03:53] Let's continue our discussion of three reasons that we should surrender our lives to God.

[00:04:00] Number one, God's plans are perfect.

[00:04:06] Have you ever been in a situation where you had the best intentions to carry out a plan,

[00:04:11] but despite all of your research and planning, there were still obstacles or surprises that interfered with your plan?

[00:04:18] Number one, this has happened to everyone, simply because it is impossible for us to know everything.

[00:04:27] The good news is that God does know everything.

[00:04:31] He knows everything about you, everyone you know, and every single detail of your life.

[00:04:40] God knows you intimately more than you even know yourself.

[00:04:46] With this infinite wisdom, God, and only God, knows the best plans for your life.

[00:04:53] He knows your strengths and weaknesses.

[00:04:56] He knows of the gifts he has planted in you, even the gifts you have yet to learn.

[00:05:03] I am not suggesting that you not have goals and dreams, but God knows the best possible plans for your life.

[00:05:12] Many of us pursue hopes and dreams, unaware where our efforts may lead.

[00:05:18] But imagine if we can learn of the plans that God knows would bring us joy, purpose, and fulfillment.

[00:05:25] If we bring our goals and dreams before God, I believe God will lead us to the best possible version of plans

[00:05:33] that may also include the goals and dreams we had in mind.

[00:05:38] Only God knows the perfect plans for our lives.

[00:05:44] Number two, God rewards the faithful.

[00:05:49] When we surrender our lives to God, he rewards us for our faithfulness.

[00:05:54] God has given each and every one of us the power to choose.

[00:05:59] We all have free will.

[00:06:01] We all have the ability to choose right from wrong, good from evil.

[00:06:07] More simply, we all have the will to choose our own path in life.

[00:06:13] Have you ever had a goal and dream that you pursued with all of your being,

[00:06:18] only to learn it did not have the outcome you hoped for?

[00:06:22] We have all experienced at one point or another, especially before our walk with God.

[00:06:28] Even in the context of living our lives day to day,

[00:06:31] we all have the ability to choose how we show up for ourselves and others around us.

[00:06:38] We can choose to be giving, loving, nurturing, and supportive.

[00:06:42] We can choose to be selfish, hateful, indifferent, and hostile.

[00:06:47] In all of these ways, God allows us to shape every moment of our lives.

[00:06:53] When we decide to surrender our lives to God, we surrender our heart in the process.

[00:07:02] Knowing we have chosen His way over our own,

[00:07:07] God rewards those who choose His way over the world's way.

[00:07:12] How does He do this?

[00:07:14] There are countless ways.

[00:07:17] God offers protection, influence, favor, guidance, direction, and peace, just to name a few.

[00:07:27] God will transform our lives in return for placing our full trust in Him.

[00:07:36] Number three, your life will be transformed.

[00:07:41] As I just mentioned, when we surrender our lives to God,

[00:07:45] our life will be transformed in ways we never thought possible.

[00:07:50] Before I surrendered to God, my life was subject to the randomness of the world.

[00:07:56] My circumstances were subject to unknown factors that I could not possibly have known.

[00:08:03] Sometimes good, sometimes bad.

[00:08:06] Life was sometimes up and sometimes down.

[00:08:11] But when it was down, I had to navigate those times without the peace and calm that I have now.

[00:08:20] I am not suggesting that life will no longer have challenges when we surrender to God.

[00:08:25] But I am saying that God's presence will be made known in the form of peace and calm on your heart

[00:08:31] when you could otherwise be full of angst and dismay.

[00:08:37] In the midst of challenges, God's presence will be made known in comforting you,

[00:08:42] as well as His influence into the challenges at hand.

[00:08:47] My life has been transformed in so many ways since I decided to surrender my life to God.

[00:08:55] When I make plans, I make them yielding to God's will.

[00:09:00] In doing so, I know and trust God will orchestrate events to be aligned with His plans for me.

[00:09:08] I no longer worry about the unknown because I have decided to leave what is unknown to me in God's hands

[00:09:16] and seek out His direction and instructions.

[00:09:21] As I wrote this message, I confess that following a job layoff,

[00:09:27] so many aspects of how I would live my life were suddenly in the realm of the unknown.

[00:09:33] Since the time of my layoff, I can honestly say that there has been favor and influence in my professional life

[00:09:39] in such a way that I am always provided what I need to make ends meet until I see what is next in my career.

[00:09:48] I have made plans for the next year, but I have brought them before God,

[00:09:53] also letting Him know that I yield to His will first and foremost.

[00:09:59] I have absolutely no idea what the outcome will be for my plans,

[00:10:06] but I can already observe signs of His influence and favor with these plans,

[00:10:12] and I can sense the areas of my plans that don't seem to have the same level of favor.

[00:10:20] I believe He is directing and guiding me to a transformed life,

[00:10:25] the likes of which I have never experienced until now.

[00:10:31] In today's message, we explored three reasons to surrender to God.

[00:10:35] We discussed the fact that God's plans are perfect.

[00:10:39] God knows every single thing, and as a result, He also knows what is best for us.

[00:10:43] God knows so much more than we possibly can or ever will.

[00:10:49] We discussed the fact that God rewards the faithful.

[00:10:53] When we do decide to surrender to God, He rewards us in so many ways.

[00:10:58] Surrendering our lives to God will yield protection, influence, and favor from God, just to name a few.

[00:11:06] Lastly, we learned that our life will be completely and utterly transformed when we dedicate it to God and surrender to Him.

[00:11:14] We cannot possibly know all the benefits of surrendering to God,

[00:11:18] but we know that He loves us more than we can understand and comprehend.

[00:11:23] It is from this love that we can trust that God has our best intentions in mind.

[00:11:29] We may as well put our trust in the one who knows us better than we know ourselves.

[00:11:37] If you have not already, I invite you to surrender your life to God.

[00:11:41] Yes, you have full agency to make your own decisions in your life,

[00:11:46] but why not hand your plans to the one who knows all things?

[00:11:51] Don't waste another minute.

[00:11:54] Surrender your life to God today.

[00:12:00] Let's close in prayer.

[00:12:01] Father, Almighty God, we thank you for this time.

[00:12:03] We thank you for the words of wisdom that you have shared through me.

[00:12:08] Father, we come to you knowing that we have free will.

[00:12:11] We come to you knowing that we have full agency in our lives.

[00:12:14] But we also know that you know all things.

[00:12:18] You know every single thing about us.

[00:12:20] You know every single element of our lives.

[00:12:22] You know details that we don't even know.

[00:12:24] You know the gifts that you have planted in us that will allow us to live our best life that we may yet have yet to know or learn.

[00:12:34] So, Father, we consider today that since you know all things and you know every single detail of us,

[00:12:44] that we surrender to you, that we surrender our lives to you,

[00:12:47] that you lead and guide us to the best late plans that you have in store for us.

[00:12:54] We come to you asking, Father, for guidance.

[00:12:58] We ask for patience as we learn how to surrender our lives bit by bit to you,

[00:13:03] knowing that you know what is best for us.

[00:13:06] You know what is best that we pursue.

[00:13:09] You know what is best for our purpose.

[00:13:10] You know what is best for us.

[00:13:42] We learn how God's Word provides clear guidance and direction about surrender.

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[00:14:07] I'll be right back after this.

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[00:15:00] Welcome to Going Deeper with the Word.

[00:15:02] In this segment, we welcome people of all backgrounds, religious or not, to review the Word of God.

[00:15:09] The Word of God provides guidance, direction, and instructions for living our lives and walking with God.

[00:15:16] Today, we examine how God's Word provides very clear guidance and direction about surrender and giving our hearts to God.

[00:15:25] Let's review examples of God's Word that can lead and guide our steps and back up the principles we learned in today's message.

[00:15:33] I'll be reading scripture today from the Amplified Bible.

[00:15:37] By the way, if you're watching this message online, we invite you to share comments as we review each verse.

[00:15:46] Here's our first verse.

[00:15:50] Romans 12, verses 1 and 2.

[00:15:55] Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice,

[00:16:02] holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your rational, in other words, logical and intelligent, act of worship.

[00:16:09] And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed and progressively changed by the renewing of your mind,

[00:16:16] so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

[00:16:29] In this verse, Paul explains the importance of surrender.

[00:16:33] We read that part of surrendering our lives to God is not just in our hopes, dreams, and plans,

[00:16:39] but also in how we show up in the world.

[00:16:42] Surrender includes changing our hearts and minds to not be conformed to the ways of the world,

[00:16:47] but instead seek out the will of God, which we know to be perfect.

[00:16:53] One of the most difficult parts of surrender is letting go of habits, behaviors, and even relationships

[00:17:00] that allowed us to be embedded in the world around us.

[00:17:05] God can help us to make this transition if we ask him for strength.

[00:17:09] When we surrender to God, let us embrace a way of living that is holy and pleasing to God.

[00:17:18] Question.

[00:17:19] Do you hesitate surrendering a part of your life to God?

[00:17:24] If yes, what is your fear in handing over control to God?

[00:17:32] Let's have a look at another verse.

[00:17:35] John 15, verses 1 and 2.

[00:17:39] I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine dresser.

[00:17:46] Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away.

[00:17:51] And every branch that continues to bear fruit, he prunes, so that it will bear more fruit.

[00:18:00] In this verse, Jesus explains an aspect of surrender that may not be comfortable to hear at first.

[00:18:05] But when we consider the bigger picture, it makes sense.

[00:18:09] When a branch is pruned from a fruit tree, it is removed so that the tree can be encouraged to grow and produce even more fruit.

[00:18:16] In a similar sense, when we decide to surrender to God, we find God may prune parts of our lives that are connected to areas of our life that are holding us back.

[00:18:29] We will, of course, always have a choice in the matter.

[00:18:32] But when we choose to let go of things that are not aligned with surrender, we open the door for us to grow in ways we never imagined.

[00:18:42] Question for you.

[00:18:43] Are there areas of your life that you know are holding you back from a full walk with God?

[00:18:50] Describe one or more areas of your life that you know do not honor God but struggle to think you can do without.

[00:18:59] Will you bring your concerns to God today?

[00:19:02] Let us know in the comments.

[00:19:05] Let's look at one last verse.

[00:19:08] Jeremiah 29, verse 11.

[00:19:12] For I know the plans and thoughts I have for you, says the Lord.

[00:19:16] Plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster.

[00:19:20] To give you a future and a hope.

[00:19:26] In this verse, we learn from the Lord himself that he is fully aware of plans he has for each and every one of us.

[00:19:34] He makes clear that these plans are not for disaster but to provide a hopeful future.

[00:19:39] Even as we know this to be true, I believe all of us may still feel there is an area of life that only we know what is best.

[00:19:49] It is our human nature.

[00:19:52] The more we are aware of this resistance to surrender, the more we can explore the opportunities to bring this feeling of resistance to God.

[00:20:00] God is loving and kind and will help us to maneuver through the thoughts and feelings about letting go.

[00:20:07] Question for you.

[00:20:08] Do you believe that God's plans are perfected plans for you?

[00:20:13] If no, why not?

[00:20:14] If yes, do you still find yourself holding on to plans and not surrendering them to him?

[00:20:21] Let us know in the comments.

[00:20:25] Today's message touched on a few of many reasons we can all stand to benefit from surrendering our lives to God.

[00:20:31] It is only human to feel hesitation in giving up complete control.

[00:20:35] But the more we give to God, the closer we are to what he envisions as a perfected life plan for us.

[00:20:42] Today's message touched on a few of many reasons we can all stand to benefit from surrendering our lives to God.

[00:20:49] It is only human to feel hesitation in giving up complete control.

[00:20:52] But the more we give to God, the closer we are to what he envisions as a perfected life plan for us.

[00:21:00] Thank you for your time in reviewing these verses with me today.

[00:21:04] Please be sure to share in the comments how these or other examples of God's word have helped you with surrendering your life to God.

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