Holly Furtick

I walked into Hobby Lobby the other day and I saw a sight that blew me away. Christmas decorations. Yes, the employees in Hobby Lobby were already putting up aisle after aisle of Christmas decorations.

I all of the sudden felt rushed. I literally had to stop and tell myself that it was indeed only July and no matter what Hobby Lobby wants me to think, Christmas is not right around the corner, it is half a year away!!

Stores are always trying to get me on to the next thing. Like have you ever noticed the spring clothes that they put out in January? They are trying to capitalize on the excitement of what is coming next. Are you hot and bored of summer? Think about Christmas. Are you tired of your winter wardrobe? Spring is just around the corner.

The enemy does this to me too.

He tries to tell me that I want my 2 year old to grow up so our home will not be so chaotic.

He tries to tell me that I am ready for school to start because my kids are bored of being home all summer (and they are annoying me).

He whispers that your house is too small. Or your car is too old. Or you would be better off ending your marriage in divorce. Or that you would be happier in a different job. Or maybe happier at a different church.

The truth is contentment comes from Jesus. And Jesus wants me to enjoy each day that I have been given. 1 Timothy 6:6 says, “But godliness with contentment is great gain.” Always looking to what is next is a dangerous thing. Yes it is good to look forward to the future and plan for the future but I will never be able to enjoy my future if I can’t learn to enjoy today.

If I started decorating for Christmas now, I would be so sick of Christmas by the time it came around. In the same way, I must learn to enjoy the NOW because if I don’t, I won’t be able to enjoy tomorrow when it comes.

Our worship team at Elevation has been working on a new album. I am so excited about it. I have so loved singing the new songs in church.

There’s one song in particular that we have been singing called, Grace So Glorious. It has a line that I just can’t stop think about. It says,

“To know the Savior’s love surrounding our surrender.”

This line totally revolutionized the way I think about surrender. Most of the time, I think of surrender as a negative thing. Like I lost the battle and surrender means I will be take prisoner. And often, in my walk with Christ, I cling to things, because I subconsciously think that if I let go and give it to God, I will be losing something.

Like if I forgive that person, I am letting them win and they will be free and I will resent them.

Or if I make a conscious effort to stop gossiping and complaining, I won’t have anything fun to talk about any more.

But the crazy thing is God is not a prison warden just waiting for me to finally surrender so I can be his prisoner. In fact, the opposite is true. When I take the first step of surrender, God rushes to me with the grace to follow through with that decision.

God is a God of love. The things He wants me to surrender are simply because He has something better for me.

And yes, I know, it is not that simple. What if the thing you are surrendering to is a huge process. Like God told you to stay in your marriage, and you have to daily surrender to forgive and love and give grace to someone who may not “deserve” it.

But maybe it is that simple. God’s love surrounds my surrender. And whether it is a one time surrender (not likely) or an issue I have to surrender to for the next 5 years, I will be able to look back after those 5 years and say that I experienced God and His grace like never before during that time.

I dare you to try it. Ask God what He wants you to surrender today, and experience his love and grace to the fullest.