What is a Surrendered Life?

He began asking me to do it several years ago.

Surrender that is.

I was single at the time, though, and if surrendering meant that I wasn’t going to get married, then I wasn’t going to surrender.

I continued going to church, leading a small group, serving on a committee or two, and praying.

Praying for my will to be done.

I was surrendered in the Christian things. Surely that was surrendered enough.

I also kept working. Working to make my will a reality by dating guys who I knew were not God’s best. But after all, at least I’d be married. Right?

I never completely surrendered, but for some reason He brought me my husband. I don’t know exactly why really. I wish the story was written that I surrendered, then I was rewarded. But that’s not how it played out.

Instead surrender was slow. I would give up a lie or two that I had been believing for a while, trying hard to believe truth but not always wanting to. Later the belief came.

Slowly my thoughts began to surrender.

Then He asked me again. Will you surrender now?

But this time He was not only asking me to surrender my future. He was asking me to surrender flesh and blood.

My new husband of only two years laid down the hall of the hospital on life support. If he didn’t receive a heart donor within a few days he would die.

Will you surrender now?

I prayed and cried and prayed and cried. But in the end I finally said, “Your will be done”.

I left my husband, the one I had begged God to give me for years previous, there at the altar. The sacrifice of my will.

My reward? A peace that is so supernatural, so glorious I could never explain it to you in fonts and symbols. But I am here to tell you that it’s real.

When we got married we braided a cord of three strands as a part of our wedding ceremony. One cord represented myself. One cord represented my husband. And one cord represented God.

Ecclesiastes 4:12 says that a cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

For me, this is the surrendered life. A cord of three strands – not just one and not just two, but three.

Cords of three do not just apply in a context of marriage.

You are always there. You are always one of the cords. One of the other cords is anyone you do life with – your family members, your sisters in Christ, your children, your churches, your ministries.

And then there is His cord. God’s cord, the One who has to be invited in. When we invite Him and give Him His place there, our lives then can become surrendered.

After Jesus’s resurrection two disciples were traveling to Emmaus. They were discussing all that had happened the past week and seemed somewhat confused. Then Jesus appeared and began walking with them. He listened to them and answered their questions. As Jesus continued on with the disciples He joined them for dinner, broke bread, and suddenly their eyes were open. (Luke 24:13-35)

When Jesus joins our cord of two He creates an even stronger braid – on that is not easily broken – one that opens our eyes and makes a surrendered life possible.

And one that allows us to experience His peace.

What does a surrendered life mean to you? Does it make you nervous to surrender?