To make room in our days and find peace and purpose in life our first step is bringing ourselves to a place of surrender.
I know what you’re thinking… I don’t know if I can do that … it’s hard to surrender!!
It’s hard because it means we have to give up control and put our trust in the unknown. It’s hard to trust someone we can’t physically see and hear from. We have to rely on full faith that through surrender we will find our true purpose for our life here on earth.
Maree says it well “For most, it is a challenge to relinquish our hopes, expectations, and desires; after all, the Lord might have other plans than what we desire.” https://www.embracingtheunexpected.com/surrender-everything-to-god/
The world is good at making us believe we are in complete control of our lives, convincing us we need to plan out our lives and our days. While God calls us to come to him in prayer and trust him, he does tell us to take action but to take action on his will not our own.
It’s hard to think about letting go of dreams we have that may not be in alignment with Gods will for our life. No one likes to be told no or not right now. It’s hard to face the realities of surrendering. But it doesn’t mean it’s a hopeless journey because he has plans for our lives, as Jeremiah 29:11 says “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future”.
We might have to let go of our plans for his but you know what, his plans could be way better than you ever could have imagined for yourself. He wants to bless us because he loves and cares for us. He wants the best for us and all we have to do is have faith as small as a mustard seed and surrender to him.
Through my journey as a mom I’ve learned that part of mom life is being a planner. I’ve come to be pretty darn good at planning meals and coordinating calendars and even planning out our homeschool lessons. Since planning is a big part of my life I will say it started to become an idol or central focus to how I approached my days. I like planning because I was in control of how life went. We as humans like control because we like predictability and find comfort in knowing what is next, it allows us to prepare and feel at ease.
What I realized though as I was growing deeper in my faith, I was feeling convicted that I liked control too much. I was getting so focused on me making all the plans that I wasn’t allowing for Gods plans in my days and life overall.
Every time I heard this song “Make Room by The Church Will Sing” it was like Gods gentle nudge for me to be reminded of who’s in control.
Sometimes we need God to adjust our focus so we can live the life he has planned out for us. This song is such an inspiring message to let go and surrender because when we make room God can do his work in our lives.
When I find myself feeling overwhelmed because the girls have plans different from my plans for our school day or when I stress over trying to make a decision on something in life I think of this song. I’m reminded to slow down and refocus.
Today I wanted to dive deeper into a few of the verses from the song “Make room” to help bring awareness and a new perspective on life, which can help lead to less stress and more peace.
🍃“I’m going to make room for you to do whatever you want to”
This verse in the song makes me think of Matthew 6:10 “your kingdom come will be done”
(It’s his will for our life, not our will) When we follow Gods will for our lives things fall into place, there is a sense of peace and flow about our lives. Not that it’s always going to be easy but each bump in the road teaches us something and sometimes we have to go through the tough stuff to draw us closer to our savior. When he carries us through the valleys and brings us up to the mountain tops, these experiences allow us opportunities to shout from the mountain top his goodness, mercy and grace. Through our experiences God uses us to touch the lives of others. Those who witness God working in our lives can experience tugs at their heart strings to desire that relationship with their savior as well, which is what God wants. He calls us to be fishers of men and go out and make disciples and he does that through our life journey.
Making room in our lives can be incredibly challenging now days. We live in such a face paced, never stop being productive mentality. When we don’t make the space for God to speak to us and work in us the world will. It’s a pivotal life change to slow our pace of life, to allow for stillness and quiet for God to speak to us. When we make this shift to allowing space In our days there’s a sense of peace and clarity that he reveals to us. Proverbs 3:5-6 says “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight”. How freeing is that to think about when we surrender to him all things are made right.
🍃“Here is where I lay it down Every lie and every doubt,This is my surrender”
How often do you believe things people said to or about you?
We tend to hold onto beliefs others have of us even if they are not true. We adopt others beliefs and words as our truth and because of that we tend to live our lives differently then what God desires for us. We hold ourselves back from doing something we want to because someone once told us we weren’t smart enough or brave enough.
How often do we let fear stand in the way of us taking action or moving forward in life?
Taking the step to lie down every burden and every doubt is releasing the ties holding us back in life and allowing us to lean into his truth. When we let go of the things that weigh us down, whether they are physical, emotional, or spiritual we allow ourselves to live a life filled with joy and purpose!
🍃“Shake up the ground of all my tradition Break down the walls of all my religion
Your way is better, Your way is better”
Sometimes we need God to shake the ground beneath our feet to catch our attention. To call us out of the rut we’ve made in life, to live differently. To live with peace and purpose.
Sometimes things become idols in our lives without us even being aware because they have just become habit. We can be sucked into climbing the corporate ladder affecting our relationship with our family. Or become all consumed by work or commitments in life we feel there is no time in our day for anything else. Sometimes social media takes precedence in our lives causing us to not be as present with our children or those we do life with. Sometimes it’s sports or extra curricular activities that pull our attention rather then spending Sundays with a church family.
Sometimes we need God to shake up our habits, to open our eyes and find our way back to him. Lucky for us he never gives up, he will leave the 99 to find the one lost sheep, and when we wake up, he welcomes us back with arms wide open and celebrates like the return of the prodigal son.
The world’s mission is to grab our attention and suck us in, there’s no shame if you faltered because we all do. But it’s good to pay attention to the patterns of your life to notice how you spend your days and with whom. Sometimes the choices we make lead us to a more difficult life than what God intend for us to live. Allow him to reveal to you the patterns of the world you may be living so you can be rescued by him and be transformed.
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”Romans 8:28(ESV)
🍃In Conclusion: Through Surrendering and Making room for God we find peace and purpose in life!
When we surrender we can let go.. We can let go of worry, anxiety and ultimately let go of control. It’s not all on us or up to us to figure things out or make tough decisions. We can cast our cares on him because he cares for us.
I know it’s hard because when we surrender, we may have to face parts of ourselves we might not like, or face difficult and uncomfortable emotions.
When we slow down and make room for God to work in our lives we find a deeper sense of peace and purpose. Having that peace and purpose can help us stay focused on what’s truly important, and give us clarity on how and with whom we should spend our time.
Sometimes our priorities drift and sometimes we lose focus but, thank goodness for a God who always leads us back on the right path. Knowing it’s not all on us to figure everything out is a relief!
The verses in Philippians 4:6-7 reminds us “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Making room in our lives to sit in prayer, to read his word and create moments we can speak to and hear from him are so important to live a life of peace.
Let’s lean into that way of life this May and make room and see how we stress less and live a life of peace and joy!