The Serenity of Surrender
Saturday, April 22, 2017
**Note: This was written specifically to a group of parents of strong willed children. If you are challenged with the parenting of a strong willed child, please consider joining our safe, loving support group of parents. We are on Facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/574545625933789/
The Serenity of Surrender
Scripture:
1 Corinthians 6:19
Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
Ezekiel 36:27
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own
Romans 8:9
You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
Ephesians 2:21-22
in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
Romans 8:11
If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
Romans 8:2
For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
Devotional:
My need for God is so evident today. I am not feeling like a failure; it is simply that I have woken up feeling very grateful that I have the honor of being the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit of God. That Jesus Christ lives in me.
I want to be fully alive to the truth of His Presence. I want to live this life belonging fully to Him.
There is a place of childlike surrender, a place of fully giving up of myself and recognizing that there is truly no way I can be more deserving or more qualified. This gift cost me only my willingness. My will.
Isn’t that amazing? The question of will? I truly believe that in the context of raising a strong-willed child, at the core is the question: to whom does the will truly belong? The truth is, our will was gifted to us by the Most High God. In turn, He gifted children with strong wills to moms and dads who now have the particular task of raising them to understand where their will is meant to be. Centered in Him. Filled and controlled by and directed by His Spirit. Opened and available to Him for instruction, direction, and most importantly surrender.
In recovery circles, the familiar serenity prayer has a section that points to this:
… trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
that I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
forever in the next.
There is an ache to return to the supreme happiness of living fully in the presence of God. I truly believe that this must wait until we are in His Presence, as at this time we must live in a world fallen by sin. However, we can be taught to surrender to His Will and be filled with His Spirit that we might have a reasonable level of true happiness, infused with His joy and peace.
Please allow Him to fill you anew each day. He is able to give you the strength to make it through despite the real frustrations of living in this world, and the challenges of parenting a difficult child. He desires to give you the centered serenity you need, and to empower you for this day and every day!
Prayer:
Serenity Prayer
- Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971)
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
enjoying one moment at a time;
accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
that I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
forever in the next.
Amen.
Father, I am so grateful for the gift of Your Holy Spirit Who dwells in me as a product of my surrender to Jesus. Increase my dependence today as I surrender anew. I ask that my child(ren) have a humble surrender to You as well. Dwell within and among us today, and knit us together as the body of Christ.
I lift up (area of need or concern) and recognize that I do not have power in myself to change it. I do ask for courage to press in to those things You lead me to address and confront, by only by Your Spirit and not in my own flesh.
I bless You today. I surrender my heart and my day.
In Jesus’ Name I pray, amen.
**Note: This was written specifically to a group of parents of strong willed children. If you are challenged with the parenting of a strong willed child, please consider joining our safe, loving support group of parents. We are on Facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/574545625933789/
The Serenity of Surrender
Scripture:
1 Corinthians 6:19
Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
Ezekiel 36:27
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own
Romans 8:9
You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
Ephesians 2:21-22
in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
Romans 8:11
If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
Romans 8:2
For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
Devotional:
My need for God is so evident today. I am not feeling like a failure; it is simply that I have woken up feeling very grateful that I have the honor of being the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit of God. That Jesus Christ lives in me.
I want to be fully alive to the truth of His Presence. I want to live this life belonging fully to Him.
There is a place of childlike surrender, a place of fully giving up of myself and recognizing that there is truly no way I can be more deserving or more qualified. This gift cost me only my willingness. My will.
Isn’t that amazing? The question of will? I truly believe that in the context of raising a strong-willed child, at the core is the question: to whom does the will truly belong? The truth is, our will was gifted to us by the Most High God. In turn, He gifted children with strong wills to moms and dads who now have the particular task of raising them to understand where their will is meant to be. Centered in Him. Filled and controlled by and directed by His Spirit. Opened and available to Him for instruction, direction, and most importantly surrender.
In recovery circles, the familiar serenity prayer has a section that points to this:
… trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
that I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
forever in the next.
There is an ache to return to the supreme happiness of living fully in the presence of God. I truly believe that this must wait until we are in His Presence, as at this time we must live in a world fallen by sin. However, we can be taught to surrender to His Will and be filled with His Spirit that we might have a reasonable level of true happiness, infused with His joy and peace.
Please allow Him to fill you anew each day. He is able to give you the strength to make it through despite the real frustrations of living in this world, and the challenges of parenting a difficult child. He desires to give you the centered serenity you need, and to empower you for this day and every day!
Prayer:
Serenity Prayer
- Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971)
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
enjoying one moment at a time;
accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
that I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
forever in the next.
Amen.
Father, I am so grateful for the gift of Your Holy Spirit Who dwells in me as a product of my surrender to Jesus. Increase my dependence today as I surrender anew. I ask that my child(ren) have a humble surrender to You as well. Dwell within and among us today, and knit us together as the body of Christ.
I lift up (area of need or concern) and recognize that I do not have power in myself to change it. I do ask for courage to press in to those things You lead me to address and confront, by only by Your Spirit and not in my own flesh.
I bless You today. I surrender my heart and my day.
In Jesus’ Name I pray, amen.
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