Learning to Embrace the Art of Surrender and Sunday Grace Notes

Do you struggle, like I do, with a false sense of control of your life? By learning to embrace the art of surrender, I hope to find more peace in my life.

I did something out of the ordinary this week.

I let go.

You see, I live with this false sense of control, giving myself the illusion that if I’m not handling it, then it will all go wrong.

And it’s just not possible to do everything.

Did you hear that – fellow busy Mom juggling all the things – like I am?

We can’t do it all.

And I don’t think we were ever designed to.

So are we supposed to just let the laundry pile up and the pantry remain empty? Well, of course not, but there has to be a better way that works for you and your family.

I juggle 2 jobs, 2 busy teens while also maintaining the house, laundry, cooking, grocery shopping and cleaning – let alone the DIY projects that we create for Noting Grace all while keeping our other 2 small businesses going.

And I know you get it, too! We all run hectic and busy lives.

Sometimes, there’s no escaping it, but there are 3 simple steps you can take to start moving toward change.

Learning to Embrace the Art of Surrender

Surrender: to give oneself up, as into the power of another.

To yield.

To submit.

That’s the meaning of surrender according to the dictionary.

As Christians, it makes complete sense. We give up our wills and desires in favor of Christ’s.

It sounds like it could be an easy thing to do, but in all honesty, it’s just the opposite – at least for me.

And I know I’m not alone.

Even Paul said in Romans 7:15, “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.”

Surrender takes some sacrifice but the result can be a beautiful thing.

Here are 3 ways to help learn the art of Surrender.

Turn to Christ Daily thru Submission.

The reason I’ve been so overwhelmed, trying to tick all the boxes, do all the things while having perfectly prepared meals, a clean home all while wearing a smile:

I’ve been trying to accomplish all of these things on my own.

Our first prayer each day should practice the art of surrender.

Even in the Lord’s Prayer, immediately following praising the Lord, God our Father, we are to pray, “Your kingdom come, your will be done.”

It takes trust to submit to God’s care, especially when He is molding our character during difficult seasons and trials.

And it’s more than just belief.

It’s an entire – self – all in or nothing type of commitment.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.

Prov 3: 5-6

All of your heart. And don’t miss that next line!

All of your mind as well because we are to not lean on our own understanding.

This kind of submission can only happen when we yield our hardened hearts and become like pliable clay in the Potter’s hands.

Approach the Throne with Self-Denial.

Now this goes against the world’s mentality of “You do You!”

That is self centeredness. Self conceit. Self care.

All of those things sound bad, but when you look at the opposite end of the spectrum, it doesn’t sound much better.

Self sacrifice. Self abandonment. Self denial.

Wait – that couldn’t be right, could it?

And if I look back on when I’ve tried to do things on my own, it has all failed.

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

Phil 2: 3-4, NLT

As believers, we no longer live for ourselves. We are not our own.

Continuing in Phillipians Chapter 3, even Paul said that whatever gain he had, he counted it all as rubbish – garbage! – so that he can gain Christ in his life.

So repent of that You do You, self care sin that society tells us to do.

Surrendering to His will is to admit our need for Him and acknowledge and believe that His way is truly better than ours.

Reset your mind with Self-Control and Discipline.

The art of surrendering begins in our minds.

For us to gain God’s perspective in our daily lives, we need to reboot our brains to embrace His way of thinking.

“ Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

Romans 12:2 NLT

We are surrounded by a world filled with the pursuit of desires, be it feeding our appetite, pursuing ownership of things, being free to say what we say, or love who we love.

But in complete contrast of that, as Christians, we need to learn to be content with what is enough, what will bring peace, what is reasonable.

And we have been given this freely. In 2 Timothy 1, Paul says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”

Christians are often teased for being narrow-minded and naive or inexperienced. But anyone who has resisted temptations knows it takes discipline.

If we are consistently turning to scripture and attending worship, or prayer or church, then we are strengthened to fight the battle.

If we aren’t consistent, then we lack the endurance to fight the temptations of the world.

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The Latest with Us

This past weekend, we went down to spend some time with our son at his college.

It makes our hearts so happy seeing him grow and flourish, especially after a rough season last semester.

Taking a break during crazy times seemed foolish, but on this side of things, I will never regret pushing pause on projects to spend more time with my family! 💕

New Happenings

We are finishing up the dining room and will have the reveal very soon!

But in the meantime, you can catch a few sneak peeks in our latest post on how to install DIY Decorative Wall Molding.