Surrendering Is Harder

I’m re-reading Kris’s beautiful book, Holey, Wholly, Holy: A Lenten Journey of Refinement. It’s leaving me undone all over again. Reminding me just how easy it is to strive instead of surrender.

And then I read this from The Practice of the Presence of God,

I apply myself diligently to do nothing and think nothing which may displease Him. (38)

Scripture reminds me,

See I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. Deuteronomy 30:15

My devotion says,

To be surrendered to God is of more value than our personal holiness … If we are truly surrendered, we will never be aware of our own efforts to remain surrendered. Our entire life will be consumed with the One to whom we surrender.

Surrender is hard. It is easier to push ahead, to do what seems right. But that isn’t what God asks of us. He offers us the choice between life and death—and I find myself struggling to trust Him in that.

It’s easier for me to push ahead, bravely push ahead even, in what makes sense. Far too often I place my trust in methods and principles, in platforms and platitudes. But He is calling me to something far greater … but far more challenging.

He is asking me to surrender. Absolute surrender. And it’s scary.

Surrendering is harder. Harder than anything I’ve ever done. But I’m tired of holding my dreams and my hopes and my passions in my clenched up fist. I’m opening my hands and offering the mess I’ve made to the One who cleans up messes. I’m choosing harder.