the work of surrender

“Commit your way to the  Lord; trust in him, and he will act,  making your righteousness shine like the dawn, your justice like the noonday. ” Psalms‬ ‭37‬:‭5‬-‭6

This may not be news to you, but I’ve found so much of a life lived with God, pursuing godliness and goodness, is one of waiting. It is surrendering this near constant striving I feel to control my circumstances, the people around me, my own self.

This surrender requires an immense amount of trust. We surrender, trusting and belie believing, that the one we surrender to is more capable, more wise, and more powerful than we are.

Surrender and trust looks like waiting to act. To speak. To correct. To rebuke.

It is not having the last word.

Not demanding certain behavior it regardless of the person’s heart.

It is letting God do his supernatural hidden work in the lives and hearts of others, instead of manipulating, berating, and demeaning to get our way.

It is giving our child’s doubt to God.

Giving our family member’s behavior to God.

Giving the biting words said by another to God.

Not retaliating in kind or controlling everyone to death.

These two verses are an encouragement to me when I think of conflict. I think of the many times I have been in conflict with someone and I go low. I say a hurtful word or speak unkindly and the person doesn’t stoop down to my ways. They remain kind, firm, reasonable.

This godliness in these moments truly does shine like the noonday and in the light of their action I see how dark my own are. Just as God’s kindness leads me to repentance, so does theirs.

There are so many moments when my gut reaction is to retaliate in kind or to be unfeeling or to do whatever everyone else seems to be doing because, well, everyone else is doing it. But I must commit my way to God. I must commit to do things as he has instructed me to do them. And as I commit to this I trust that he will act, he will move, he will judge, he will correct, he will redeem.

May our hearts grow more sure of his work that we might surrender more and more with trust.