Welcome to A Surrendered Heart: A Wife’s Journey to Love the Jesus Way. Click on the “Leave a Comment” button on each post to add your thoughts, experiences, and suggestions to the discussion. If you are a newsletter subscriber, please click through to this post on my website to add your comments to the discussion to be read by everyone. I look forward to hearing what you have to say! God be praised for the gift of marriage and for allowing us to grow in Him.
Read Lesson 1: Why I Married This Guy
Read Lesson 2: So, What Does Your Husband Do?
Read Lesson 3: How Selfish is Your Prayer?
Read Lesson 4: Serve Because I Want To
Read Lesson 5: It’s a Choice
I am an amazing wife and mother when I find myself in a blissfully quiet house, spending time in prayer and in the Word in my living room chair while all of my family sleeps. Indeed. When I am talking to no one, dealing with no issues, not trying to multi-task, not attempting to juggle all of life’s demands – I tell you what. I’ve got a surrendered heart ready to take on the world with all the grace, love, and gentleness called for by Jesus.
And then all the people wake up.
It’s amazing to me how quickly my gentleness turns harsh and my loving spirit turns to frustration when reality hits with answering constant questions, getting food on the table, offering frequent reminders about what should be accomplished around the home, helping with issues, and running interference with squabbles. Life is good, but it is also full and challenging – especially if we are being intentional about serving and parenting and loving well. Not to mention the fact that we live in a fallen world – one in which Satan is working to redirect our focus back toward self so that we forget to look to Jesus.
The battle has already been won, so we’ve no reason to feel defeat. Not even a little bit! But we do need to recognize that our struggle is real. I find that I must constantly talk to God, and continually surrender my will so that I can let the Spirit be at work, just as has been promised.
Being a woman, my thoughts can be ruled by emotions. Therefore, I find that my heart can be pricked in one moment, ready to surrender to the Lord’s work in my life – then the next moment I find myself trying to do it all myself, forgetting the truth from scripture or pulpit or article that I just found so powerful. Thoughts shift, emotions swing, my focus drifts. Ugh, this brain of mine.
All the scripture, articles, inspirational thoughts, and brilliants sermons in the world will do me no good if I only think, “that is beautiful, wonderful, something I really needed to hear” but fail to let God work the truth of the words through my heart and actions.
This is not about me working harder to be a better wife, friend, mother, or person. Not even a little bit. Let me say it again: This is not about me working harder! This is about me choosing to surrender my heart to let God do the work in me.
We make it too hard. We overthink. We forget that the work has already been done and that the Father is continually at work and that our only “job” is simply to be. To rest. To trust. To listen. To obey. To receive His gift of peace.
Friends, we can’t forget. Continue to be in the Word. Devour it. Soak it up. Let it seep into your heart so that you can be transformed by it’s power and truth.
Keep focusing on the kingdom – the reason we’re here. The ultimate goal. The power of the cross.
Need to confront an issue? God will give you the wisdom and the words. He promises us this. Want to love your husband and be the godly wife God is calling you to be? Then you surrender your heart and let God do His work through you. Let Him love through you, serve through you, be joyful through you, show patience through you – display all the fruit that is promised through the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Then praise God for the way He is working His will in your marriage. As we fix our eyes on Jesus, take up our cross daily, seek His will, ask for His help, and surrender our hearts – our marriages can’t help but be glorious!
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I find that meditating on Luke 12 helps re-focus my thoughts on the kingdom. If my treasure (what I choose to think about, dwell on, and work toward) has an earthly focus – my heart will remain in an earthly state of despair. If instead I have a kingdom perspective, surrendering my will to allow the Spirit to work – my heart joins my thoughts in a place of Christ-like peace.
Download Where Your Treasure Is Printable Here
Take time to pray, meditate on scripture, and listen. What are you learning? What is God teaching you? How is God working in your heart to love your husband the Jesus way?
Download the What God is Teaching Me Printable Here
Up For Discussion…Share With Us!
- What lessons has God been teaching you about loving your husband His way?
- How can you more easily remember Truth from scripture as you hit life head on?
- How might you need to change your heart focus so that you can be open to hearing God’s will for you?
- Praise God with me for His work in our lives and in our marriages! He wins, every time! Join me in celebrating this!
Katrina says
This is entirely me, to a T.
Debi Schuhow says
I just subscribed to your blog yesterday and I appreciate the wisdom God has blessed you with.
Diane says
This describes me as well. I just need to be while trusting the Lord to be God. I worry and fret though. As if that will change anything. Thanks for the wisdom.
Debbie says
This is really good. It’s so much harder to allow God to change us than it is to sit and agree with all the good stuff we are reading and listening to. It’s so hard to understand how to “not work” and” just be”. HOW to surrender, I guess, is what my question is. What does that even mean, practically??? I think I need to pray about this! ha
Anyway, great post!