He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Romans 8:32
I so vividly remember looking out of my patio door watching my then five- year old daughter run to the yard next door to play with her friends. She had on her favorite pink coat with the white fur around it. She asked so sweetly, “Mama can I go play with my friends?” I hesitantly said, “Yes, but don’t go too far.” I had never let her leave out of our yard to play but I reluctantly let her go. My daughter ran rapidly with so much excitement and anticipation as if she was about to embark on some great adventure. I on the other hand stood at the patio door watching and weeping as I watched her run away. My husband came in with a puzzled look on his face and asked, “What’s wrong with you?” I cried and said, “She’s going over to play with her friends.” My husband looked at me as if I were overly emotional, overly dramatic, and maybe even a little crazy. All I knew was that my baby was not my “baby” anymore.
Letting her go that day was just the beginning of letting go’s that I’ve experienced regarding my children. From their first time driving on their own, to camp retreats, going off to college, and getting married. Each time required a deeper letting go. Though it was hard to say the least, it’s all part of life’s progression. The process of my husband and I gradually loosening the reins contributed to our children being responsible adults, and not having to depend on us. In relation to God it’s the opposite. He wants us to let go so that we can depend and entrust Him with everything.
Fully surrendering to God can be difficult and progressive as well. We may want to hold on to something and in some cases, someone that we know is not God’s will for us. Sometimes we may think that we have surrendered all but there are things, people, or situations, that we have not totally released to God. Those deep things that need to be revealed or hidden things of the heart that we’ve never really confronted. God requires a deeper letting go for us to experience the fullness of Him. He wants absolute surrender, a total commitment from us. He doesn’t want us to leave anything out. The whole totality of all that we are, He wants. God wants our hearts and lives entirely yielded to Him. When our wills are aligned with His will, and we follow His will in obedience, and trust Him completely to carry out His will for our lives, this is a place of surrender.
A lot of times when we think of letting go we think of what we are losing. Our focus is mainly on what we have to give up. But when we give all to God it’s gain. There is an exchange when we surrender our hearts and lives to Jesus. When we fully relinquish all to Him we get the full blessing of a relationship with Him. Whatever we give up is nothing compared to what God offers us; Himself.
Sometimes we may have to dig a little deeper to see if there is any area in our lives not submitted totally to the Lordship of Jesus. As we examine our hearts and lives in light of scripture, and diligently seek God, He will reveal those areas that are not yielded to Him. The more we let go the more we will be transformed into Christ’s image. The more we separate from those things that are hindering us spiritually the more we become one with God. The deeper the letting go, the more rooted our relationship with Jesus will be. When we direct our hearts right before Him and spread out our hand and place all that’s in it in His all-encompassing hand and trust Him with it, He in turn will bless us with good and perfect gifts from above and guide us along the right paths. We give all, and gain all to the glory of our blessed Savior.
