Surrender

 I don't know if you choose a word for the year, but it is something that I started doing a few years ago. Last year (2020) God gave me the word "hope" which started to become very clear about March...I
wrote a post about hope in December and you can read it here if you want to.

God gave me my word for 2021 back in December. I did not immediately accept my word because it is not easy and I knew it wouldn't be. So what is my word for 2021? It is surrender. Can you see why I was (maybe still am) a little reluctant to accept it?!

According to the dictionary, surrender is "to give up completely or agree to forgo especially in favor of another, or to give (oneself) up into the power of another; or to give oneself over to something such as an influence.

Other words often used in place of surrender: 

cede, give up, hand over, lay down, relinquish, render, turn over, yield, submit, submission, submits

My verse for the year is Proverbs 3:6-"In all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight." (NIV)

NLT-"Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take."

CEV-"Always let Him lead you, and He will clear the road for you to follow."

Easy-peasy, right?

Not at all, which is why I knew it would be a struggle. I am very strong willed and just like everyone else on the planet, I like my own way. But, real life isn't like Burger King, and we don't always get to have it our way. 

One of the things that I notice about these verses is the action behind them-it is a CHOICE to submit (or not), we can choose to SEEK His will (or not) and we can ALWAYS let Him LEAD us (or not). I am totally human with a malfunctioning brain, so I tend to forget A LOT. I need reminders a lot. Sometimes I find myself getting all worked up about something and I hear this gentle whisper "surrender." At that moment, I can choose to surrender to the One Who knows better than I do, or I can continue in my own way. I have had more reminders than I care to admit this year, but I am thankful for the reminders. I am thankful that it is a choice because if there is something I dislike less than my own way, it is being MADE to give in or give up. I would rather choose to do it than be made to do it.

What do you think about the idea of surrendering? Do you find it easy or hard? What areas do you find hard to surrender (other than your will)? 

One of the things I have had to surrender is how aggravated I get over all the things currently going on in the world. The mask debate, the vaccine debate, people saying Covid is fake or the numbers are inflated, the memes and jabs at the current or past president, people acting in a way that I don't think they should act, the fact that everything turns into a debate (because we are all human and have an opinion). Then I have to surrender that aggravation or the fact that someone doesn't think like I do, because in the end I am only responsible for me and my choices, and that includes how I react to things that I read online or hear in person. I don't have to agree with everyone, it is totally okay not to. But, I also don't have to make things into a debate either, I can choose not to comment, or read and scroll on, surrendering it to God since He is the one in control anyway, I don't want or need that control. I want to be more like Him and less like my malfunctioning, sometimes overly emotional, sensitive self 😉

 Do you set a focus word? How do you go about getting your word? I would love to hear whether you chose a word or not and if you did, what it is 😀