As I continue to read the book Irresistible Revolution as talked about in this post, I am searching to find answers to what it means to give and love as Jesus gave and loved.
Yesterday at church, we sang the hymn “I Surrender All”. Later my husband and I were talking about this song we’ve sung our whole lives…which begins:
“All to Jesus I surrender,
All to Him I freely give…”
Do we really surrender all?
Or do we just surrender some…sometimes?
And the question remains. How do we surrender all?
With a family to support and feed and care for…we really can’t just sell all we have and go live among and minister to the the homeless and drug addicts (as the author of this book has done).
So, what does it look like for us?
We’re still searching (and I pray that we always continue to search out how we can surrender all…).
But as I’ve pondered and prayed, I’ve come to this:
For me, as a wife, mother and homemaker…it begins at home. As I care for and raise my family, as I work to make my home a haven, as I work to support and love my husband…
That is where it begins.
And, I can open my heart and home and always be ready to welcome others in.
God gave us a big beautiful home. I can surrender it to Him. And oh the ways He might use it…
So what are your thoughts? What do you think it should look like in your life to surrender all?
Devildogwife says:
I think surrendering all “simply” means that we open up our minds/hearts to whatever the Lord may have for our lives. It’s listening to His leading and then following Him wherever He leads.
March 31st, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Char says:
Oh wow - you really know how to make a girl think, don’t you? I don’t even have an answer on this one, but I promise to think about it. Surrender is a tough one - and probably the ONE thing I need to work on more than anything else.
March 31st, 2008 at 1:39 pm
Marie says:
Deep thoughts. You have a great point! Sometimes I feel like I’m failing because it seems that I have no time to do other things after taking care of my family! Thanks for the insight.
March 31st, 2008 at 10:15 pm
Elizabeth says:
Laura, thanks for challenging us to consider how God is calling us to surrender. God has challenged me to surrender my life in terms of pursing a career for my own personal glory. Rather He has challenged me to be a helpmate to my husband and to lay down my life, time and personal pursuits to train and educate our children to love and serve Christ.
April 1st, 2008 at 2:45 pm
Kari says:
I do believe that when you are raising children, that it is your relationship with your spouse and raising your children that is your biggest ministry. Part of that is teaching your children how to serve and so finding some way to do Meals on Wheels or helping them save money to buy an animal from Heifer International or…, being involved in those ministries is an important part of your ministry to your family.
As for surrendering all… I know I don’t do it and I don’t want to do it. Guess I need to work on surrendering my attitude first.
I have thought on what does it really mean to be a Christian since your first post on this. I think about how the Christians in the 1st century were reported to have sold their possessions to share with each other.
We in America are so rich. (I must constantly repeat that to myself this month as property taxes and income taxes are due, both cars need work, and the cat is having surgery next week). We might have a hard time making ends meet but we are still rich.
I find myself wanting to figure out ways to do with less, maybe to sell some things, maybe to buy fewer things. I think for me, at least right now, what it means to be a Christian is to share more of the riches that we benefit from.
Well, there are my yammerings to send out into cyberspace. Nice to know there is a community of people considering what it means to be a Christian and what it means to surrender.
April 2nd, 2008 at 2:32 pm
Kate says:
Hmmm…how we surrender in our house… 1. We do NOT place importance on taking time for our selves if it takes us away from time spent with our children.
2. We live simply so that we may simply live.
3. We give away anything that we truly do not need.
4. We are always willing to open our door to anyone that wants to come in. (Although we have not been taken up on this, we truly do mean it.)
5. We make sure we take care of our neighbors. (We live in a condo subdivision consisting of building with 4 units attached together. To our left is a recently widowed 79 year old, to our right is a widowed woman who 2 years ago lost her only child to cancer, is in rapidly deterorating health, and is 82. Next to her is an 89 year old widow who has blessed us SO many times and views herself as a “grandmother” to our children.) We help them out in whatever ways we can, we make sure they never get lonely, and we watch out for them at all times…”Hmmm, Virginia didn’t go to 9am mass today, we better make sure she is ok.)
6. We never stop looking for ways/areas where we can surrender our lives more in the name of Jesus.
Great post, and such a thought provoking question!
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:14 pm