WHAT DOES SURRENDER LOOK LIKE
What does surrender look like? It means letting go of our wants, rights, and expectations and fully embracing God's perfect plan for our lives, even if the future seems unclear and we don't know the plan. Surrender requires trust, obedience, and complete reliance on his supernatural power at work within us even when we struggle to feel his presence at times." (from www.leavingladoica.com)

Surrendering to God means looking at what you thought you wanted and how you thought you would get it. As you look at what you want, you look at your heart's motives. Why do you truly want to succeed at something? Why do you want a certain item?
You don't just look at what you want from a physical perspective, but you look at your emotions toward circumstances and people in your life. Why are you truly mad at a person? Why are you angry at yourself?
REALIZING THE NEED FOR SURRENDER
Surrender has been somewhat difficult for me in the past. As a girl who grew up in church from a young child, I was surrounded by the things of God. Scripture, praying, and praise and worship. God-fearing parents. The whole shebang.
But giving up control and surrendering everything has still been difficult. Control is the word. Not wanting to lose control in certain aspects of my life. I wanted things to look a certain way to others and myself. Not wanting to lose a grip on what I wanted my reality to look like. From my job to my relationships. My whole demeanor. But through some heartache and a lot of humbling I'm learning that controlling my situations is not enough to keep it together. My perspective on how things should be run and how people should act doesn't amount to a pile of beans.
I can't control others. If I can't control others, this means I can't control the outcome of every situation I cross, because "others" will always be a part of it. We live around "others". You know the saying you can't live with them, and you can't live without them. Most people apply this to the concept of marriage. But in reality, it is true for everyone in your circle. In your community. We were made for each other. We were made for the community.
So, the only thing I can do is become parallel and join forces with a broader plan than just what I think is the plan. For this whole thing on earth to work in unison, where everyone works together with peace, there has to be a broader perspective than our own. There has to be some sort of plan and order in place. Something that oils the wheels of progress for humanity. That causes a force of peace and harmony.
Humanity has lost that through generations and generations of wanting to control the outcome from their own human perspective. Let me explain.
SURRENDER EXPLAINED
I'll start by saying this. It is not all about you. That hurts, doesn't it? You live with you. You live within your thoughts. You are surrounded by you. You want things to be about you, right? You want success. You want people to see you. You have dreams and ambitions. Well, we all do. I know I do.
Through some trial and error in my life, I have realized that though I have plans and ambitions, this does not always mean they are going to come to pass when I want them to. And honestly, some have been shot down. And thankfully I can sit here and say that it was God completely protecting me.
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"We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps."
Proverbs 16:9
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You know how you read a scripture sometimes, and then it really doesn't click until you reeeaaally see it. Sometimes you really see it in the middle of a valley. Or in the middle of the desert. Whichever looks more appropriate to your situation at the moment. But it seems to me that that's when it clicks. Thats when you have that moment of "ok I get it".
This particular scripture is where I am at the moment. There are plans and hopes that I thought I would already see at this time in my life, but it hasn't happened. Through a lot of prayer and time with God, though, I'm seeing that its ok that it hasn't happened. Just because it hasn't happened, doesn't mean it won't.
After thinking about surrender for a couple of days now here is one thing that has helped me in realizing that it's ok not having all of my plans come to past when I want them to. You remember when I said it is not all about you. Well, it not really about any "one" of us. It is about all of us as a whole. As Christians we are one part to a major organism. The body of Christ.
I taught a class one day at church. I taught on a perspective that I know was from God on how we should operate here on earth. Here it is. When we drive in town there are stop signs, yield signs, and red lights. These are all in place so that we can share the road. So that each of us can stop and go at specific times as we cross each other's paths. So, no one gets hurt, and everyone gets to where they need to.
Well, that was my take on people. We all are wanting to get places. We are all wanting to see the scenery of life and experience it all. But the truth is we are all in different seasons of life. Different stages of maturity. Both in our age and in our walks with God. We all are needed for different reasons where we are at, at the present moment.
One reason may be that you are needed to grow a little bit more in an area within your soul before God can place into the season that you so desperately wanting. Maybe God is wanting to use you in someone's life in the place you are at. Maybe God is wanting to use someone in your life. Maybe God is putting up the stop sign saying no, this isn't right. He does this to protect us. Maybe it is just a yield sign because it is not right yet. There are several scenarios that I could say, but I hope you get the point. That yes, it is about you and me as individuals. But it's not at the same time. There are more people than just you or me here on earth.
We are only getting to see this life and everything in it from our perspective. Which is not much. God is looking at the overall picture. He is wanting to use you in the bigger scheme of things. We each play pivotal roles in the body of Christ. Where you are placed is no mistake. Surrendering to God's plan is a call to duty for each of us. Being content in the season, in the questions, in the not knowing is vital for us so we can be at peace in our walk here on earth. Surrendering takes courage and intentionality. It takes daily renewing of the mind.
It takes saying ok I'll stay here as long as you need me God. Your ways are greater than mine. In Exodus 33 Moses made one of the most profound statements when it comes to the subject of surrender. He said to God, "If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here." Moses was determined to stay anywhere as long as God was with them him. He understood the importance and power of the presence of God.
Defending in Surrender
Here is why the presence of God is so important. Satan is here on the roads also trying to set you up to crash. Trying to get you lost, off of the path of surrender. In the surrendered path, you are going to have to die to the flesh and be intentional in your walk with God, but you are safe there. Because God has your best interest in mind. Satan only wants to confuse you so that you get mad or doubt God. He wants to keep you from being used in those people's lives that you are a pivotal part of. He wants you to get so deep in your thoughts of doubt and despair that you give up.
He is sneaky. But when you surrender your ways to God, no matter what you see or hear from others, you keep the strong holds down that Satan tries to get you to set up. Satan tries to shape your thinking, one lie at a time until you're a prisoner of deception. That is the only thing he has on you. That is his only tactic. To get in your head. But a surrendered heart will keep their armor on and recognize the schemes of the enemy. They will choose to use all of the tools that God has placed with in their toolbox.
Surrendering causes the enemy to get mad, but it causes our father to stand tall for us. The enemy will come at the surrendered hearts more, but God has set up words in place for us to use. He has told us that he did not give us the spirit of fear. He told Joshua several times to be strong and courageous. He reminded him so he knew. Be strong and courageous. He is telling us that today. Be strong courageous.
He said where we are weak, he is strong. Our weapons are not flesh they are completely spiritual. Second Corinthians 10:4-5, "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds. Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."
The surrendered heart reads the word and acquire knowledge of who they are in Christ. The word says, "My people die because of lack of knowledge". Renew your mind to the word daily. Tear down the strong holds that set themselves up against the knowledge of God. Surrender those thoughts. Instead of them being strong holds in your life, you set up strongholds for them.

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