Personal Story: Learning to Surrender to God

Hi Friends! 

I want to share with you some things I’ve learned about surrender. 

I often have great conversations with my dad. I love talking to him and listening to his wisdom. 

One question I often ask him when I talk to him on my way to work in the mornings is, “Daddy, do you have any words of wisdom for me today?”

And he always says the same thing. “Yes. Surrender to God.”

To be honest, that answer used to annoy the heck out of me. 

I wanted him to say something else, like, “Just enjoy your day, do what’s best for you, and everything will work out in your favor.”

But he never said that. His answer never changed. 

Then one day he went on to say, “Rich, I saw a breakthrough in my life when I gave up my will and surrendered everything to God. If you want to see a breakthrough in your life, surrender everything to Him.”

I said, “Okay, Daddy. Thank you.”

But, honestly, I didn’t really know what surrender meant. 

To learn more about it, I turned to God in prayer and Bible study. 

During this time of seeking an answer, God also led me to various sermons on surrender and recommended different blogs and books to read on the topic. 

God has taught me so many things about surrendering to Him, and I’m still learning. 

Many times in life, I want to do things my way and figure things out myself, but that stems from pride, stubbornness, and a rebellious nature. I’ve learned that’s not the way to go. 

I’ve had to realize that surrendering to God isn’t about me being wrong and God being right; it’s about acknowledging my limitations and recognizing God as the ultimate authority. It’s about me understanding and accepting that God’s plan for me and my life is better than my own plan. 

I don’t have to be in control because God is. This was so hard for me to accept. Because I’m a planner and I like to plan out most things in my life. I want to know what’s going to happen and when so that I can prepare for it. I like to control outcomes in my life. But walking by faith and with God doesn’t work like that. God rarely gives me the details. 

It’s so much better when I surrender my way to God’s way. I’ve found that the answers to my problems come quicker, and I have more clarity about what decision to make. 

Additionally, when I entrust it to God, it alleviates my worry, anxiety, and fear. I am calmer and peaceful. So, I recommend that you surrender everything in your life to God. Ask him what to do and which way to go, even in the small decisions like what to wear for the day or how to style your hair. 

I’ve had to learn that surrender isn’t a sign of weakness. 

It’s about trusting God and His plan for me. 

We have a plan, but God’s plan is always better. 

I’m learning that my dad gave me the best advice. 

Although it wasn’t something I wanted to hear at the time, it was something I needed to hear, and I’m glad he shared that wisdom with me, as well as other personal experiences he had gone through. 

I want to impart the same wisdom that has helped me to you. 

Surrender to God. 

When we surrender to God, it brings incredible blessings into our lives. 

Until next time, 

Happy reading!

XO,

Dr. Rich 💋