What Does It Mean To Fully Surrender Yourself To God?
What if I told you there is a prayer that is always answered 100% of the time? Would you want to learn about it? Would you like to wake up every day and experience the majesty of this always-granted prayer?
It goes like this.
“Dear God, today I am ready to do whatever you want me to do.”
This is what it means to surrender to God. It is simple. It is clear. You put God in charge.
I am not a person who is so pure that I never made any mistakes in my life. In fact, I made some terrible mistakes, so in my version of the prayer, I also add this addendum “… and you know God, how stupid and arrogant I can be, so please, whatever you want me to do, make it very obvious!”
Wake up each morning, and the first thing you do before you even get out of bed is say this prayer. If you sincerely want to follow God’s will, you will be amazed at what happens.
You probably will not win the lottery. You may even face a challenging test of your stamina. The goal of life is to follow God’s will, wherever it may lead, with a faith so strong you can move mountains.
You will pay close attention to your day and look for clear signs of what God wants you to do. If you cannot discover any indications of what to do, God wants you to relax and be at peace in your heart.
Don’t worry about trying hard to recognize the signs because it will be obvious what to do if you pay attention.
Lost Puppy
One man driving down the freeway for work saw an abandoned puppy on the side of the road in great danger of being run over. Even though he was already late for work, he immediately pulled over to a safe place and called the puppy to come to him. The puppy ran to him and jumped into his arms, getting his business suit very dirty. The man arrived very late to work with the puppy in his arms to explain what had happened. The mean manager fired him on the spot.
The other office workers protested. The story made the local news when someone posted the video of the man being fired. The company’s CEO found out and rehired the man. The CEO fired the manager and let the workers adopt the puppy to become the company’s mascot dog to live at the office.
When the man was interviewed for TV, they asked him why he risked his job to save a little puppy. The man said simply, “It is what God wanted me to do.”
When you surrender to God, you put aside your ego and let God guide you. Your fears and worries dissipate. You go through life with more ease. You do not immediately fall into doubt and despair if something bad happens. Instead, you wait to see what happens next and look to God for guidance on what to do.
If you know for certain how loving God is, you will not doubt that there will be an effective resolution to any challenge. With the lightheartedness of a child, you will live life fully and without anxiety.
See God in Their Eyes
Mother Teresa’s advice was not to despair about world troubles. She said, “Help one person at a time and always start with the person nearest you.”
As a young nun without resources, she saw a man dying in the streets. She got permission to take him into a nearby building that was unused. She picked him up and carried him inside, where she nurtured him. That night, he died in peace.
How could she pick up a man that was so diseased and filthy? She said, “I could see God in his eyes.”
These are two examples of what it is like to surrender to God’s will.
The man could have driven on and ignored the puppy on the freeway. Mother Teresa could have walked by and ignored the dying man.
Most of us have opportunities each day to follow God’s will. Unfortunately, it is easier for many to ignore God’s will and follow selfish desires, often on a path to self-destruction.
It is so powerful to surrender to God’s will. When we fully surrender in our hearts, we open to the possibility of God’s strength and wisdom coming with full force to help. We do not become diminished by following God’s will. Quite the opposite. We become empowered by this because we participate in the manifestation of God’s will, and it feels great.
How to Surrender to God’s Will
Try a test to see for yourself. Pick a day, any normal day. Start with the prayer, “Dear God, today I am ready to do whatever you want me to do. Show me what to do and make it obvious.”
Then, go through the day as usual while remaining open to notice what God might want you to do. You may be surprised at what happens. A simple gesture, a smile, or a kind word may be all that is necessary.
For example, you might see a homeless person that you never noticed before. Instead of giving money that might be used to buy drugs and alcohol, stop and talk to that person. Spend some time getting to know the homeless, and you too may see God in their eyes.
The good news is that once you start to experience the power of surrender to God’s will, you will want to do more of it, and goodness will flourish.