Give it to God
How many times have you heard someone say, “Just give it to God?” What exactly does it mean to give something to God? In order to give something away, you have to have possession of it. Many times, the things we need to hand over to God are the things we were never meant to carry in the first place, things that are out of our control, and things that make us worried or anxious. God himself knew that as long as man was on earth, we would try to hold onto things that we weren’t supposed to. Jesus Himself said, as long as we are on this earth, we will have troubles of many kinds, but the verse doesn’t end there. He continues to say be of good cheer …good cheer because we will face trouble and adversity? No! Good cheer because He has overcome the world (John 16:33).
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
As great news as it is that Jesus has overcome and has victory over every obstacle we may face, it can still be hard to give things to God. Why? To give is an act of surrender. In some strange way we believe that when we hold onto something, we have control over it. That, by worrying we are doing something to change the situation. Jesus himself reminds us that worry doesn’t change anything. In fact, worry only produces fear and anxiety which in turn are the opposite of faith. It takes the same amount of energy to act in faith as It does to sit in worry. The difference is, that faith actually holds the power to change the circumstance! To give something to God- a situation, a family member, a prayer request- means to lay it down in surrender by faith knowing that God hears your prayers and will be quick to answer!
In Philippians 4, the apostle Paul teaches us how to pray and give things to God, He says “Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God will guard your hearts and your mind in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:4-6).
To live a life of surrender to God— a life of faith instead of fear, giving God your every concern—starts with thanksgiving. Remind your heart who God is. Thank God for the blessings He has done and is currently doing in your life. Then, thank Him for meeting the request you are believing for in advance. Even if you can’t see a breakthrough yet, thank Him in advance like it’s already done. Thanksgiving is a great act of faith in the God who has, is, and will answer our prayers in abundance!
Remember, God never intended for you to carry the weight of this life in your own strength! He calls us to exchange every thought and concern that troubles us for His peace and joy! So lay it down today, surrender that child, that, marriage, your finances, your health… give it to God. Give thanks in faith and see what He does!