Surrendering Your Year

Everything is in God’s hands. I know it; you know it. But do we really believe it?

I am a worrier. I plan things out, analyze before and after situations occur, and go to great lengths to avoid problems. But this year, God has really challenged me to surrender everything to Him.

For those of us who enjoy knowing the plan or having clear goals, it can be frustrating to surrender to God because it means making decisions we wouldn’t necessarily make on our own. Sometimes, those decisions seem like straying from the path we want or disappointing people we admire. Often, especially at the beginning of the surrendering process, we have no idea where God is taking us. That’s downright frightening!

While surrendering is a very difficult process, it allows us to accept our freedom found in Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. When we surrender our hopes and dreams to God, we aren’t giving up on who He created us to be. Rather, we are aligning our will with His. We are letting go of the idea that life has to look the way we planned to be meaningful.

It’s easier to surrender our will to God’s when we spend time with Him and realize He has our best interest in mind. He loves us more than we could ever comprehend and He will always take good care of us.

Surrendering makes room for peace. The pressure isn’t on us to perform and fulfill our goals. Instead, we can take life one step at a time, only acting as God leads.

This doesn’t mean we have an excuse to be lazy or unprepared. Rather, we don’t have to worry about what life will bring. We can continue on ahead, bringing each situation to God in prayer, and making decisions that glorify Him. When things don’t turn out the way we want, we don’t have to panic. God must have something better in store.

What is your biggest takeaway from 2023? What do you hope for in 2024?

I pray that for all of us, 2024 is a year of fulfilled promises, personal growth, and a deeper relationship with God.

Jesus answered them, “Do you finally believe? In fact, you’re about to make a run for it—saving your own skins and abandoning me. But I’m not abandoned. The Father is with me. I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.”

John 16:33 (MSG)