Surrender
by Kim Engelmann
“Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.”
—Matthew 10:39
What we are being asked to surrender in our recovery process is ultimately not anything worth keeping to begin with. We cling to what we know and what is familiar because, in a world of uncertainty, even destructive old patterns die hard. The fantasy that our self-sufficiency and false persona will somehow fulfill us assumes that something unreal can offer sustenance and fulfillment to the pervasive longings of our hearts for God. The paradox of surrender is that in letting go of what is not real, we encounter the One who is eternally true and completely authentic. In surrender, because we have let go of the lie of self-sufficiency, there now exists within us space and opportunity for the wealth of God’s eternal love to infuse our heart.
VIEW:
READ:
- God, As We Understand God by James Ryan
- I Surrender by Aaron Edwards
THINK:
- Do you think that surrender is a one-time experience or an ongoing life journey? Or both?
- Do you remember a time when you surrendered something to God?
- How did you get to the point of wanting to surrender?
- How did you know that surrender had actually happened?
- Sometimes people resist surrendering to God because they think it might mean that their sense of who they are would get violated, or that they might become a doormat for the world. How would you explain surrender to someone who has this kind of perspective?
- In your experience, what is the hardest part of surrender?
- The best part?
- Why is surrender so necessary for recovery?
PRAY
As I walk with You,
I pray that I would not see You
as a God who wants
to take things away from me.
Rather help me to “get” that
You have always been for me.
In asking me to surrender,
You are asking me to
give You all of the stuff
that is corrosive in my life
so that there will be
space inside of me
for Your life-giving presence.
Come, Holy Spirit,
and help me to let go of the lies
so that I can embrace
the truth of Your goodness.
In Jesus’s name, Amen.