Absolute Surrender

We experience peace when we allow God to direct our lives. When we trust that God loves us perfectly and that He waits to bless us, He strengthens us so that we can withstand the storms of life. This requires absolute surrender.

Surrendering our lives to God is the third step in the Alcoholics Anonymous recovery program. When I have faced adversities that overwhelmed me, I have discovered that God is a merciful and compassionate Helper. When I could not make it on my own, I have learned that with God, all things are possible. (See my April 27, 2009 post "Enfolded in the Arms of God's Love.)

Life can be unpredictable and cruel. Sometimes we may feel helpless and overwhelmed by the adversity we experience. We may lose a job, a home, or a loved one. We may suffer pain, persecution, or unspeakable grief. All of us will some day--if not now--face challenges that bring us to our knees. When we reach the end of our rope, we can either hang on until we lose all strength or we can allow God to carry us.

My friend, Diane, describes the trial of watching her husband battle cancer as being in the eye of the storm. Diane and her husband, Ford, are riding the rollercoaster of chemo, radiation, and a myraid complications of terminal cancer with grace, sorrow, and peace. They have surrendered their lives and their hearts to God, and He is carrying them through a mighty storm.

When my dad battled leukemia, he surrendered his life to God--as He had done continuously in his life--and found serenity amid suffering. As his body weakened, his spirit grew stronger. While he lay dying, he comforted others when they visited him in the hospital. He trusted that God's love was all that he needed, and he trusted that God knew him personally and loved him infinitely. He died peacefully amid sorrow and great pain.

But I just can't do this, you say. I'm a control freak. I can't give my life to Someone I do not know.

I would suggest you get to know Him on a deep, personal level. Talk to Him as you would talk to your best friend. Unload your sorrows, fear, pain, and grief on Him, and let Him carry it. Read His words as you would study your favorite school subject or work of literature. Search out His messages of loving kindness and mercy in the Scriptures and become acquainted with His compassion, empathy, and wisdom. Then ask for His help, trusting that He will help you.

He says that He is a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. He has already suffering everything you will ever suffer--and more. He know exactly how to feel and precisely how to help you.

No words are more often repeated in Scripture than these: Ask and ye shall receive. Ask, and then open your heart so that you can receive. Give God a chance through absolute surrender and discover the beginning of miracles.

© Carol Brown