Guest Blog: by Amy Clackum
“My ways are higher. ”
Every year, I ask God what He wants me to work on for the upcoming year. I try to actively seek and ask God where He wants me to grow. God often gives me a word for the year, and I know that it will play a part in how God will move in my life. At the end of 2023, when I received my two words from God, I was a little nervous about what 2024 would hold.
My first word was “better.”
At first glance, that sounds great. FINALLY, life may be taking a turn for the easier. But when I pressed in to learn more, it was not about my view of what better looked like, but that God was teaching me that His Way is better.
Then the second word came… surrender, or more specifically, “let go.”
Let go?!
How is there more letting go to let go off?
That is when I buckled my seat belt, knowing that this year could hold lots of surrender and letting go.
God gave me scripture to help me understand what He was doing. I was learning to trust His ways above my own.
“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your way, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9, NLT)
So, what did all of this mean?
How do we surrender to God when we have a fantastic plan for our lives that we feel He should sign off on?
Step 1: Look to God as my Creator.
We need to remember that God has every right to tell us the best way to live our lives. He is the author of our life, our Creator. He “knit me together in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13, NLT).
I picture it like this:
What if I took the time to create a beautiful platter out of clay? I made it to serve food to family and friends when they visited. I designed it, painted it, glazed it, and fired it. It was perfect!
Then, one day, this platter told me it would rather be a frisbee than hold food. It wasn’t made to be a frisbee, but I should know; I created it! Being a frisbee could damage the plate beyond recognition. My heart for the plate is that it would be helpful, and live a full life of service, not live in brokenness, accomplishing so little.
As ridiculous as that thought is, we do this, don’t we?
We want control over our lives without looking to the Creator who made us as His “masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago” (Ephesians 2:10, NLT).
Step 2: Invite God to search my heart
We need to invite God to search our hearts and show us places where we are not seeking His will above our own.
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you…” (Psalm 139:23-24a, NLT).
We need the Holy Spirit’s help to lay down our wants and desires, to pick up our cross, and to follow Jesus. We need to ask God for Him to give us His heart.
Step 3: Surrender
Daily, hourly, and even moment by moment, we must choose to surrender our will to God. Surrendering bit by bit is much easier said than done. Letting go requires us to walk out steps one and two repeatedly.
When you find you are gripping your life tightly and directing your steps,
- Stop.
- Tell yourself the truth about who God is, your Creator.
- Ask God to search your heart and give you the strength to walk with open hands.
- Surrender over and over and over.
Repeat x infinity.
Are you willing to take the step of faith and trust God entirely with 100% of your life?
Lord, I ask that you be with my friend who has read this to the end. Lord, you are already moving in their heart to release their life into your care and direction. Jesus, enable them to reject anything not of You and grasp your good plan. Jesus, please give them the faith and strength to walk faithfully in Your will. Thank you, Jesus, for being safe to surrender to. What a good God You are! Amen and Amen.
Meditate: God, help me to surrender every aspect of my life to You.
Reflect: Write down any areas you believe you are holding back from God. Places where you believe your way is the best. Ask God to give you His eyes to see each area you have written. Take time to pray over each area, asking God to give you the faith and strength to relinquish it into His capable hands. Do this as often as you need to!
Deeper: (As you read through these additional verses, ask the Spirit to give you wisdom, and teach you more about how to walk in the three steps of how to let go and lean into the better life He has for you.) Psalm 139:1-24, Isaiah 55:8-9, Ephesians 2:8-10, James 1:22-25
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(Bible References: NLT – New Living Translation)
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