Are You In a Season of SURRENDER? 5 God-led Truths!

Hey love!

I want to talk to you about being in a season of SURRENDER. I know I find myself in them, often. And… I know they can be HARD! Letting go of control is not natural for so many of us, but when we get out of God’s way, He can work MIRACLES in our lives, minds, and hearts. Surrendering has yielded so much fruit in my life.

So much so that I seek out ways to operate with MORE GOD, LESS ME.

Hebrews 12:11 promises us:

“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” – Hebrews 12:11

In today’s episode we go through what surrendering means, how to know if you’re being called to surrender, and how to navigate it by partnering with God. I walk you though some of my recent seasons of surrender and I hope it shows you that there is Heavenly treasure in store for you when lean into God’s direction.

I love you all so much!

FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPTION:

(00:00)
Hey sisters. Welcome to today’s episode of the podcast. Today, we are talking about walking in a season of surrender and what that even means. When you find yourself in a season of surrender, which in my opinion, we’re always walking in different seasons of surrender, but what do you do with that? What are, what is God calling you to do? How are you supposed to really let go and let God, and allow yourself to get to this place of complete trust?

(00:33)
So we’re going to go through that today. I think you guys are going to really love this. Just grab your notebook and pen your tea or coffee, and enjoy this girl talk. So out of curiosity, I went online and looked up the definition of surrender. Now, according to Webster, here’s a few meanings of the word surrender to yield the power of another, to give or deliver up possession of anything, to give up.

(01:56)
Here’s the second one to give up possession of, to yield, to resign, to surrender a right privilege or advantage number three, to yield, to any influence emotion, passion, or power as in to surrender oneself. Number four, to yield, to render, to deliver up, to give up, a principle, a principle surrendered on and on and on. Now, when we look at the Hebrew definition of surrender, here’s some examples to hand over, to stop, to give over, to sell, or literally to give into, to pull off, to expose. Now in the Greek translation, deliver unto, give over, surrender, hand over hand, over, submit, yield.

(02:47)
I mean, y’all gettin this? So when we think about surrendering from a biblical perspective, it’s really a choice to open your heart and give over your entire life to surrendering to what God has in store for us really saying your will, Father, is better than my will. Your choices. Your plan for my life is better than my life. And it’s not just a one-time decision or meaningless words. Sisters, it is actually a discipline.

(03:25)
It is a choice to lay down the plans you’ve had for your own life. The thoughts, the things of comfort, even the idols, the things that we are so accustomed to and saying, I will literally lay down anything, any idol for you, God, for your greater good for your kingdom good for the life you have in store for me. When we do this, when I finally did this, and maybe some of you have been through seasons of surrender and you know what I’m talking about.

(03:57)
But maybe some of you were like, Oh gosh, that feels really scary. That makes me really uncomfortable. Like I need to be in control. I want to tell you that the moment you let go of control the moment you ask God to step in and take control of your life, your situation, your health, your marriage, your business, your finances, whatever the thing is, there is more goodness in store for you because God loves you more than you love you.

(04:27)
God loves your marriage more than you love your marriage. He loves your children more than you love your children. And what this does is it opens your heart to receiving the gifts that he has for you. Instead of looking for the solutions that only the world has and worldly solutions, as we know are short term, they’re often a façade and this is the enemy’s playground. And so he loves to what kill, steal and destroy. When we surrender to God’s way and God’s will, it’s replaced, worldly solutions are replaced with Holy spirit solutions.

(05:06)
I know that might sound a little bit vague or what is she actually, what are you saying to me right now, Stef? Hang with me. We’re going to get into all of this. How do you know if you’re in a season of surrender, really, if you’re facing some type of major life decision, you are struggling with fears, anxiety, or depressions or health matters.

(05:32)
You have turmoil, whether it be in your physical, like a marriage, a child that’s walking through a difficult season, an older parent who is facing health implications, maybe yourself, your own mental health. It’s something hard that’s on your life that you need to turn over and hand over to Christ so that you can relinquish that worry, let go of the pain, let go of the struggle, let go of the indecision and say it is yours, Father. Take it.

(06:05)
That’s how you know. And if you’re not yet in a season of surrender, you will be, you will be because we are all humans at the end of the day. I am actually going to be pulling today’s scripture out of my, one of my very favorite Bible studies, which is the Seasons of Soap by Horacio Printing. This is the surrender category of the Bible study, which is in volume two. If you guys don’t yet have any Horacio products, please change that. Okay? You’re going to love her stuff.

(06:39)
You guys can go to bit.ly/stef10horacio. If you use the code, Stef10, it’ll save you 10 bucks off of anything you guys want to order. I highly recommend the Bible studies, the Soap Bible studies and the planner. I mean anything by Horacio is incredible, but those are my favorite. So that’s actually what I’m pulling from today. Credit where credit is due. Always, always, and Polly and Horacio deserve a lot of credit because they are so God-sent.

(07:19)
Anyways, as I’m looking at this, I want to read you a verse. That we’re just going to dissect. That really has a foundation for those of you walking in a season of surrender. Then I’m just going to walk you through how we can apply this one scripture. Finally, I’ll read you my prayer for you and hope that it finds your soul. I hope that ignites Holy spirit in your heart to allow you to trust the process of surrender, because it’s honestly not easy, but once you’ve done it, once I think you’re going to find that the goodness that comes through of obedience and discipline is always so fruitful.

(08:00)
Okay? I am in Matthew 6:30-34, and this is the MSG translation. Now Jesus is speaking in this scripture. “If God gives such attention to the appearance of wild flowers, most of which are never even seen, don’t you think he’ll attend to you? Take pride in you do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting so you can respond to God’s giving.

(08:38)
People who don’t know God and the way he works, fuss over these things. But you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God reality, God initiative, God provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now. And don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.”

(09:16)
Okay, y’all we’re going to dissect this line by line, and then we’re going to apply it here. Here’s something so incredible. Did you realize that God’s word is alive? This is the living word of God. And when you look at scripture through a lens of God, what do you want to say to me? How am I to receive this Bible study, this verse, this message, this, this moment with you? Can you just bring alive the pages of this verse for me and transfer them from print to my heart, imprint the print on my heart.

(09:51)
Allow the words to become part of the Holy spirit that lives within me. And when you do and say and have that perspective on scripture, the words will transform your perspective. The renewing of the mind, my friends is imperative for you to be walking in your call, for you to be walking in God’s purpose for your life. It’s it’s everything. It’s the pages to the book. Like you may have the story in mind.

(10:22)
You may have the pen in your hand, you may have the author lined up and the cover, designed on the publisher may be on board with you. But if you do not have the pages to your book, you’re writing on air and your story, it won’t stick and it won’t sell and it won’t impact. It won’t be tangible. And there’ll be no book for people to hold and share and lift up and highlight and write notes in the corners and put a bookmark in because it will be yours instead of God’s story.

(11:01)
The story that he wants for you, that you are called to write on his pages. It’s the foundation of every single thing, is letting God’s word be the pages of your life. Yeah. So let’s dissect this for those of us walking in seasons of surrender, and there’s very many different reasons you might be in a season of surrender. You know, personally for me, I have some close family members who are dealing with stage four cancer. I have health issues going on with people that I really, really love.

(11:37)
I have questions for God about what he wants me to do in certain areas and some really hard choices that are going to be coming up in 2021 and instead of worrying, and instead of trying to figure it all out myself, I know that I don’t have the foresight that God has. I don’t understand his plans the way that he does. I’m here for today. I’m here to show up with all of my heart, with all of my soul, with all of my spirit, use the giftings that he’s given me to my best abilities each day. I leave tomorrow to him.

(12:15)
And when I leave tomorrow to him, I know that he will take care of everything, but that’s surrendering and it’s not easy to let go of worry and struggle and what if and fear, but we have to, as daughters of the King. He is reigning. He wears the crown and will make the choices that are best for his kingdom, which is all of us, but we have to trust in him and not meddle with the greatest planner, the greatest King there ever was and there ever will be.

(12:50)
So let’s take a look at the first part of this, of this scripture, if God gives us such attention to the appearance of wild flowers, most of which are never even seen. Don’t you think he’ll attend to you and take pride in you to do his best for you? Oh my goodness. This is crazy. Basically what I took from this is God is saying like, Hey girl, relax. I created that wildflower out there in that daisy that will never, ever, ever be an actual human being so perfectly, so beautifully, so carefully.

(13:25)
It’s a wildflower. Don’t you think I am here to take care of you to create you perfectly carefully, lovingly water you feed you, weed the weeds around you, like all the things. So I took from that like love, God loves us as much more, more than the wild flowers, more than all of the little plants that he’s created. He loves us. So love the word love was really big that I pulled out of this first sentence.

(13:57)
The second one was relax. Hey, relax. Here’s the second part. What I’m trying to do here is get you to relax. This is Jesus speaking, by the way, to not be so preoccupied with getting so you can respond to God’s giving. Did you hear me? Excuse me. Did you hear Jesus up in here? He said, relax, stop being preoccupied with getting so that you can respond to God’s giving.

(14:26)
We are so hyper-focused on get more, how, hustle that we completely miss out on what God’s trying to give us, give us in your everyday, give you in your life, give you the answers that you desperately seek. You’re missing the God led answers and the God led solutions because you’re so focused on forcing your way of getting them and believe me, girl, I am so guilty of this. I will tell you my way of getting answers, never really panned out for me. God’s way of handing me easy answers. Oh my gosh. So peaceful. That’s where that word relax for me was super highlighted.

(15:17)
Okay. The next one that I love so, so much is the next couple sentences here, it says steep your life in God reality, God initiative and God provisions, uh, what? God initiative, God reality and God provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. I put a huge box around Don’t worry about missing out. I think a lot of times when we’re called to surrender FOMO creeps in, you know what I mean? It’s like, yeah, but if you surrender your business, if you surrender social media, if you surrender to that opportunity, that isn’t really for you.

(15:57)
If you surrender making that extra money to spend time with your family, if you surrender what you really want to give to someone else, if you surrender what you have on the to-do list today to go and serve, to go and help. If you surrender that extra 10% and get to give it to the tithe, you’re missing out. God specifically is telling us through Jesus Christ right here in Matthew 6:30-34.

(16:22)
Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. That is a divine promise that I can stand. Stand behind. Yes, father I’m. So here for that, you are promising me that when I surrender things that are idols are that I’m unsure of. When I surrender the question, just the question itself, God, should I do blank? God is this for me? God, where will I? Where will I turn? When this happens? God, what if this?

(16:59)
Surrender it girl, surrender sister. He’s got you steep your life in a God reality, God initiative and God provisions. Amen. Don’t worry about missing out. That to me was trust. That was the key word here. So, so far our key words are love, relax, and trust. Let’s go to the next part. Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now. Right now. Don’t focus on tomorrow.

(17:29)
God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up. When the time comes to me, this was a focus. The word that I highlighted here that I wrote down was focus. And secondly, don’t worry. We are being told that we need to give our entire attention to what God doing right now. Not what you are doing. Okay. Not what you are lacking. Not what is painful, not what is fearful, not the things that we cannot control, not the things of the world, not what’s happening on social media and this person fighting with this person.

(18:06)
Not judgment, not hate no what God is doing right now. What has God called of you right now, today in this season, are you doing it with your entire attention? Are you focused? And if not, are you, are you in a season of worry because we’re also told that we need to not get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

(18:38)
I am so in love with this part of this verse, because what I’m taking from that is a God-sized promise delivered through the mouth of his son, Jesus Christ delivered through the third part of the Trinity Holy spirit, right into our hearts. When we’ve been baptized in the Holy spirit, where we get to live out, live out the word of God, which is show up for today with what you have, with what you know, with what I’ve given you with the living word of God, to lean on and do your best.

(19:11)
Love with all that you’ve got and relax into the peacefulness that already have for you in the provision, the blessings that already surround you and trust me, daughter, trust me long enough for you to steep in God, provision God reality and God initiative. Then finally, don’t worry. Don’t worry. God will help equip us. It says, God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

(19:44)
So let’s apply this, this small paragraph to me, speaks volumes. Surrender everything to our good, loving, supportive, caring kind father. And to me, what I took from this is just let go of what might or might not happen in the future and pray. Pray if you’re finding yourself in that worldly focus in that what if mindset or you are dealing in pain right now in the present moment to relinquish that worry and to just hand it over to Christ, to pray.

(20:24)
Pray, pray, pray to renew my mind daily in the living word to inventory, constantly inventory myself to see am I abiding by this direction from God? Am I living in a discipline that I have set, that God has set for me, the, that he expects of his daughters, which is love, relax, trust, focus, don’t worry and show up and give your entire attention to what God is doing right now.

(20:58)
And when I find that I’m not, I’m going to pray and repent of that, refocus on what I can do to change, to give, to be more in alignment with what he wants for my life and to just surrender to it. I’m not perfect. I discover weaknesses about myself all the time, but God is so good and loving and full of grace and forgiveness. And he wants us to trust and to forgive ourselves as he forgives us.

(21:27)
And then just step up, dust off, step up and say, I’m here for it. I’m here to be just a little bit better, kinder, more loving, more generous, more giving, more intentional, more patient, more, whatever in this very moment right here. Cause this is the blessing you have right before my very eyes. I’m going to leave you guys with a prayer and any of those of you that find yourself in a season of surrender, just coming back to this prayer, whenever you need to, you’re welcome to just say it with me.

(22:00)
You’re welcome to pause this and re-listen and I recommend, and I encourage you guys to just journal out some prayers yourself and really think about what are the things you haven’t surrendered to God and what, how can you, how can you begin that journey? It may not happen overnight, but when you’ve identified the things you’re holding onto, you’re clenching so tightly, those are exactly the things that you have to lay down, open arms.

(22:28)
I release this to you. God heal me. Help me. Guide me. He’s so good. He will not forsake you my friend. All right. Sweet father, God, thank you for showing me showing us this verse today, help us surrender to you. We fall at your feet so that you can pick us up clothed, crown and anointed in your good and perfect love.

(22:50)
We pray that you would unveil our eyes and show us your goodness and your grace, that you would remove anything keeping us from seeing who you truly are and all your glorious, mighty God-led beauty and provision and initiative. And that we would find ourselves in your God-reality that you would lift us up into the greatest plans, the greatest calls and the greatest peaceful presence that you have for us while we’re here on earth.

(23:25)
And that we are walking in the plans you have for our life. We pray that you would close any doors that are not for us, and that you would help us find the doors that you have created and crafted specifically for us. We trust, love and lean on you. Let go and we lock arms with what you have in store for us. We are grateful. We have faith in you.

(23:51)
Thank you father in Jesus’ name. Amen. Hope you guys love that one. And if you are searching in the area of what God has for your actual business in the calling of your life, I truly believe that one of the giftings that God has really amplified for me in the last 12 months is helping women uncover their calling, to clarify the calling that he has over their lives.

(24:31)
If you’ve been wondering what your walk is here on earth, what you’ve been called to do, what authority God has for you, and you’re trying to figure out all the little pieces and maybe you have the direction, but it’s unclear or foggy, or maybe you feel like it’s too many things. And you’re so multi-passionate that you can’t niche in. Maybe you literally have no idea whatsoever. Maybe you have the direction, but nothing’s happening because you don’t have absolute clarity over who this is meant to serve or what that person desperately might need from you.

(25:04)
Whatever that thing is, if you are not in a season of absolute clarity over your calling, I invite you to join me in clarify your calling. I just invite you to join us. It’s at clarifyyourcalling.gr8.com. This is going to be four weeks of really deep work in what you were created to do. We’re going to be partnering your passions, your skillsets, and your God led giftings to uncover the common denominator of who, who you are and what you’re meant to do so that you can walk with purpose and really joyful fulfillment.

(25:49)
Because when we do the things we were created to do, God opens all the doors, all the doors. He’s like, yes, you’re finally doing this thing that you love so much. I am just is going to pave that way for you. I’m going to lay the bricks before your feet. I’ve seen it happen in my own life. In many, many of my clients’ lives. And it all starts with partnering with him in discovery of what he wants for you. Over these four weeks, we’re going to be figuring out what you’re meant to do, who you’re meant to serve, how you’re meant to serve them.

(26:23)
All of the pain points, triggers, and problems that your person might be facing so that we can come up with content. That’s going to resonate with your person, and then I’m going to help you walk away with a direction of what you actually do with this call, what you then do to go create an audience of impact so that you can then authentically, organically show up and serve. Just like doing here on this show will, there’s a way and a reason that God has you positioned right here with me right now.

(26:49)
And I know that if you’re still listening to this, there might be that tug on your heart. That there’s more in the direction of what he wants for you. And that’s how you know that this might be for you. Go check it out. Clarifyyourcalling.gr8.com. I can’t wait. This is going to be so much fun.

I can’t wait for you to find your God-centered breakthrough and begin walking with purpose, impact, and what he has in store for you is always 100% of the time, I know that I know that I know, bigger and better than anything you could possibly have in store for yourself. Love and God’s light, Stef.