Voluntary Surrender
Is the cost of surrendering to God’s love worth the effort? Today’s post may help answer that question.
The attractive, middle-aged woman approached me, and matter of fact declared, “I should work with you in spiritual direction!” I told her I’d love to talk when she was ready, to which she retorted, “But I’m not going to because I know God would ask me to change, and I’ve worked so hard to get to this point.”
Palouse Falls - Washington
I appreciated this woman’s candor. For sure, when we begin to more intensely explore our journey of faith, we must consider making changes, and that can be distressing. Growth of any kind requires change, which is why I so love David Benner’s insight (Surrender to Love, Chapter 3 – Surrender and Obedience) concerning spiritual growth:
“If the core of Christian obedience is listening to God’s will, the core of surrender is voluntarily giving up our will. Only love can induce us to do this. But even more remarkable, not only can love make it possible, it can make it almost easy.”
I have wanted to be a surrendered follower of Jesus rather than merely “a good Christian” most of my life. At times, the pursuit has been intense. Over twenty years ago, I embarked on a three-plus-year intensive exploration which oftentimes seemed to “wreck” my soul.
My spiritual journey then “normalized” for a few years until I began feeling a nagging sense God was trying to tell me something I couldn’t quite hear. My Christian life coach introduced me to spiritual direction and after my first session, I felt as if my soul had finally found its true home. Eventually, I began rigorous training, which led to completion of a program qualifying me to become a spiritual director.
During these times of significant spiritual growth, I have surrendered often to God’s prompting, and I agree with Dr. Benner (a psychologist and spiritual director). Surrendering to God’s love can make change “ALMOST easy.” (Emphasis is mine. Sometimes change hasn’t felt all that easy, but when I’ve persisted, it has always been worth the effort.)
I’ll close with another Benner quote:
“We are creatures made in the image of God, and Spirit calls to spirit, reminding us that there is no freedom apart from surrender.”
Wherever you are in the process, blessings on your journey of spiritual growth,
