10 Tips to Help You GIVE IT UP to God

Is God asking you to do something that you just don’t want to do? Has He allowed a major difficulty in your life that you just can’t accept? You feel miserable. The issue is ever before you—always on your mind.

There’s a battle of the wills going on—yours versus God’s. That lack of peace and “where is God?” feeling is the Holy Spirit exerting pressure on you to submit to the better way—His.

Why is God’s Way Better?

Because He knows it’s the only way you can:

  • Change and become more like Jesus.
  • Have true freedom and live the abundant life.
  • Resist the devil (Jas 4:7).
  • Produce eternal fruit for His Kingdom.
  • Experience deep intimacy with Him (1 Pet 5:5).

Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this way prosperity will come to you. (Job 22:21)

God’s ways are always better because He is all-knowing, wise, good, loves us and has our best interest at heart. As Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth often quotes:

“If we knew what God knew we would want what He wants.”

Once you truly understand His character you won’t mind yielding as much.

10 Tips to Help You Give It Up to God

  1. Remember God is the One really in control.
  2. As a born-again believer, you are not your own but bought with the precious blood of Jesus Christ (1 Cor 6:20). You have relinquished your rights over to your Redeemer. But take heart—He’s a wonderful and kind Master!
  3. When it’s hard to submit do it as an act of sacrificial love. (Rom 12:1)
  4. Jesus was submissive to His Father.

During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. (Hebrews 5:7)

If we want our prayers to be heard, we too must have a reverent submission.

  1. Pray: “Lord, make me willing to be willing.” God will answer that prayer. I know because He has done so for me many times.
  2. Develop an eternal perspective. Don’t love the things of this world (1 Jn 2:15).

“Hold everything [even loved ones] in your hands lightly, otherwise it hurts when God pries your fingers open.”  ~Corrie ten Boom

  1. Understand your utter need of God.

When you know you can’t do anything worthwhile or right without the Lord…

It’ll be easier to concede when you know your desperate need.

  1. Cooperate with God (=working together with God.)

When you let God be the Driver of your life, He doesn’t throw you out of the car! You get to go along for the thrill ride of your life without crashing or going the wrong way!

  1. Surrender is not a 1-time event that happens when you decide to follow Jesus, but an attitude of humble submission admitting your need of God for salvation and everything else—even your very breath. It begins on your spiritual birthday and continues throughout your walk with Jesus.

“It’s a posture of living in relationship with God ready to hand everything and anything over to God. [It’s responding to those nudges/promptings of God.] It’s learning not to hesitate or hold back but move forward in obedience.”1 Or not move forward when God tells you to wait.

  1. Fighting against God is a losing battle! The sooner you surrender the less miserable you will be. Come to that place of acceptance. You won’t regret it—I promise; better yet He promises!

Be still [cease striving] and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth.” (Ps 46:10) 

Helpful Resource
Reasons Why God’s Way is Best

 

1Margaret Feinberg
Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.  NIV®.  Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica.  All rights reserved worldwide.