Jasmine and I lived surrendered to God, allowing Christ to live in and through us (Galatians 2:20). As I continually prayed for Jasmine’s healing, like the psalmist, I asked God to search my heart for anything that needed to change (Psalm 139:23-24). His response to me was, “Surrender Jasmine to Me.” You would think that it would be easy to say, “Yes, Lord,” to the Great Physician, but at the time I could not. I feared that despite the constant prayers for her healing from hundreds of people, He might still take her home to Heaven because His thoughts and His ways are not always ours (Isaiah 55:8). I believe in God’s sovereignty. I knew He would accomplish His will whether I surrendered or not, but I rationalized that if I surrendered Jasmine to Him, I would somehow be giving Him permission to take her, and I did not want to be complicit in that.

Sovereignty can seem cold and impersonal like God is immovable and He will do what He will do because He is God . . . and He does not need my permission. But sovereignty is only one facet of God’s character. Other facets include His goodness, His kindness, His compassion, His faithfulness, His mercy, His grace, and His covenantal love (hesed, in Hebrew). Yes, God is sovereign and He will accomplish His will, but if He is all these things and more, then I should be able to surrender or entrust Jasmine to Him because He is also trustworthy.

Stop and Consider: Surrender is not only a one-time occurrence; it is the ongoing heart condition of having turned the control of one’s life over to God. To an unbeliever this may seem foolish, but to a believer it should not be viewed as optional (Romans 12:1-2). God calls us to surrender but He does not force anyone. Have you chosen a life of surrender or are you holding onto control? Does anyone truly have control?

(Part 5: Surrendering the Last Piece of My Heart)