The summer I was eight, my Mother decided I needed swimming lessons since I could not swim at all and had a fear of trying. There was one lady in town that gave lessons in the lake behind her house on Willow Beach Road. She was a very stern instructor and was a very “fraidy-cat,” as my brother teased me constantly.

The first thing she convinced me to try was floating on my back. We were still in knee-deep water, but I became confident in this skill and even enjoyed the feeling of letting the water uphold my body. We continued learning new swimming techniques while in the shallow water, and I gained more confidence because I could put my feet on the ground if I needed. By week’s end, we had to go to the end of her pier and jump into the deep water.

I did it because I was afraid of her, but I immediately started fighting the water and not using one technique I was taught. She started screaming for me to lay back and float, and I followed her instructions. A feeling of immediate peace and calm flooded my body. Going from thinking I was going to drown to letting that water carry me was a relief that must be experienced to appreciate.

Learning not to fight against the water and surrendering to let it support my body was a major accomplishment for me. By the end of week two, I could swim – at least a little.

I have thought about that feeling of surrender and relief many times as I have aged. I try to tell others that I see in a spiritual struggle to envision themselves laying back and floating in the arms of Jesus.

James 4:10 says to

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up in honor.”

Galatians 5:1 tells us,

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free, stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

Surrendering to God is a relinquishing of rights and will. It is yielding my life – actions, thoughts, desires, and spirit to Jesus Christ.

Surrendering is opening a tight-closed fist of control and placing trust in God instead of ourselves.

Surrendering to God is taking ourselves off the throne of our own Kingdom and placing Our Lord Jesus on the throne of the one and only Kingdom.

HOW TO SURRENDER:

1. Trust God – Leaning not on our own understanding but trusting that God’s ways (and timing) are truly the best. I paraphrased this from Proverbs 3:5, and I promise it works but is not easy.

2. Humble your Heart – Confess to Jesus your weakness and wretchedness and take yourself off the throne. He will always meet us with His grace to carry us and sustain us.

3. Open your Hand – When we are working to build up our own Kingdom, we have enslaved ourselves to control.

• HE rules; therefore, I do not.
• HE reigns; therefore, I do not.
• HE is sovereign; therefore, I am not.
• HE is on the Throne; therefore, I am not.

Say these statements to yourself as often as you need reminding.

4. Relinquish our Will – We have a choice to make every day. Are we going to allow God to work in our life, or are we going to work to build our own kingdom of self? God’s Kingdom is upside down to ours. The last are first; the weak are strong, and the humble are lifted up. The Lord Jesus asked the Father to let the cup of death on the Cross pass from Him but followed it by saying, “Not MY will but Thine be done.”

5. Renewing your Mind- The world will constantly try to add worries to your day, so it is important that you realize what is happening and re-focus. Turn to scripture or praise music but do not let your mind dwell on your worries. Worrying over our lives and loved ones is the hardest thing to surrender because it leaves us feeling vulnerable. We need to focus our minds on God as the authority and let Him lead.

Stop trying to make it in this world on your own strength because you will not succeed!

When you come before the Throne humbled, weak, anxious, or like a “fraidy-cat” – the very admission of your weakness is when God can use you the most. God’s glory will rest in you, and you can float!

So, today we get to make the choice of staying tight-fisted and continue our allegiance to self, or we can surrender to Jesus and walk in joy and freedom – living for the Glory of our King!

“Dear Jesus, I know that all those years ago, you were looking for this little girl to simply be brave – lay back and quit struggling. Just letting You uphold her so she can experience that rest from floating. We know our bravest life comes from trusting and following Your plan willingly. We pray we can stop being “fraidy -cats” and become courageous through faith in You. We admit we are not always building Your Kingdom but our own, and we ask forgiveness. I come to YOU with open hands and a humble heart and ask that Your grace will be my focus. In the name of Jesus. Amen.”

Rebekah Marsh
Lean into Jesus Ministries
#rebekahmarshblogs