THM Blog

Tag: surrender

  • Are You Exhausted? Perhaps You Are Resisting God

    “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” — Matthew 11:28

    Have you ever felt completely worn out—not just physically, but deep in your soul? You may sleep, take a break, or even escape for a few hours, yet the weariness remains.

    Sometimes our deepest exhaustion does not come from how much we are doing. It comes from how hard we are trying to control what was never ours to carry.

    There is a quiet but painful truth many of us resist:

    Resisting God is exhausting.

    The Weight of Refusing to Surrender

    We often believe that if we can just try harder, think smarter, plan better, or worry more, we can fix our lives. We cling tightly to our plans, our fears, our schedules, our dreams, and even our disappointments.

    We say things like:

    • “I have to make this work.”
    • “I cannot let go.”
    • “What if everything falls apart?”
    • “I need to know what will happen next.”

    But the harder we grip, the more tired we become.

    When we refuse to surrender to God, we live as though everything depends on us. We carry burdens that were never meant for our shoulders. We fight battles in our own strength. We attempt to force open doors God may have closed, or we stand trembling before doors He has not yet opened.

    No wonder we are exhausted.

    The soul was not created to live apart from trust in God.

    What Does It Mean to Surrender to God?

    To completely surrender to God is to place our entire being—our hopes, fears, plans, relationships, and future—into His hands.

    Surrender is not giving up. It is giving over.

    It is not weakness. It is trust.

    It is not a one-time act, but a daily decision to yield our control, and even our desires, to the One who knows us better than we know ourselves.

    At the heart of surrender is this truth:

    “I trust that God’s plans for my life are good, even when I do not understand my current circumstances.”

    That sentence captures the heart of surrender.

    To surrender is to say:

    • “Lord, I do not understand this, but I trust You.”
    • “I cannot carry this any longer, so I place it in Your hands.”
    • “Your will is wiser than mine.”
    • “Your timing is better than my own.”

    This kind of trust is not natural for most of us. We want answers. We want certainty. We want control.

    But God asks for something deeper than control. He asks for faith.

    Why Surrender Brings Peace

    The moment we stop fighting God and begin trusting Him, something changes inside us.

    Our circumstances may not change immediately. The problem may still be there. The diagnosis may remain. The relationship may still be broken. The future may still seem uncertain.

    But our hearts become lighter.

    Why?

    Because peace does not come from knowing everything.

    Peace comes from knowing God.

    When we surrender, we stop demanding that God explain Himself before we trust Him. Instead, we remember who He is:

    • He is good.
    • He is faithful.
    • He is loving.
    • He is present.
    • He is working, even when we cannot see it.

    Scripture reminds us:

    “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” — Proverbs 3:5

    God never asked us to understand everything. He asked us to trust Him.

    The Daily Practice of Surrender

    Surrender is rarely dramatic. Usually, it happens quietly, one day at a time.

    Sometimes surrender means:

    • Releasing a fear you have carried for years.
    • Letting go of resentment.
    • Trusting God with your children or grandchildren.
    • Accepting that you cannot change another person.
    • Waiting patiently when God seems silent.
    • Saying, “Not my will, but Yours be done.”

    Every morning we have a choice:

    Will we cling tightly to our own way and become more exhausted?

    Or will we open our hands and trust God with what we cannot control?

    The more we surrender, the more we discover that God is trustworthy.

    And the more we trust Him, the less exhausted we become.

    A Prayer of Surrender

    Lord,

    I am tired.

    I have been carrying burdens You never asked me to carry. I have tried to control what only You can hold.

    Today I surrender my fears, my plans, my worries, my future, and my need to understand everything.

    Teach me to trust You.

    Help me believe that Your plans for my life are good, even when I cannot see where You are leading me.

    Give me the courage to open my hands and rest in Your love.

    Amen.

    Final Thought

    If you are exhausted today, perhaps the answer is not to strive harder.

    Perhaps the answer is to surrender.

    The God who created you never intended for you to carry life alone. He invites you to lay down your burdens, trust His heart, and find the rest your soul has been longing for.

    Because resisting God is exhausting.

    But surrendering to Him brings peace.

    Thank you for reading this article. Please share with others.

    Rick Herring
    thmjmj@gmail.com

  • We all Live in the Disgration of God

    In the Discretion of God

    Last night, I was speaking with my sister about a priest who had planned to retire at the age of seventy-five. He had given years of faithful service and, by all expectations, was ready to step away from ministry. Yet, because he served at the discretion of his bishop, his plans changed. Instead of retiring, he was assigned to pastor a startup church—beginning again when he thought he was finished.

    That conversation stayed with me.

    This morning, I woke up with a deeper realization: we all serve at the discretion of God. Not at our own timing, not according to our own carefully arranged plans, but according to His will. And if we are honest, that truth is both humbling and unsettling.

    Scripture reminds us of this reality in powerful ways. When Judas left the Last Supper, it is written that the devil had already entered him as he went out to betray the Lord. Even in that moment—dark, painful, and seemingly out of control—God’s greater purpose was unfolding. Nothing was outside His authority.

    This truth became even more personal this week.

    My sister had planned to retire after thirty-six years of banking. It was meant to be a joyful milestone. After decades of working alongside the same people, there were surely plans for celebration, reflection, and closure. But life had other plans.

    Her husband suffered a heart attack.

    Instead of enjoying her final days at work, she spent her next-to-last day driving to Oklahoma City and sitting in a hospital room through the night. He received a stent, and by April 2nd, they returned home to Atoka, Oklahoma. What was supposed to be a week of celebration became a week of crisis, care, and uncertainty.

    And yet, in that disruption, there was a greater truth revealed: no matter how much we plan, God is in charge.

    We map out our lives with timelines and expectations. We anticipate milestones and transitions. But in a moment, everything can shift. Not because God has lost control—but because He never relinquished it in the first place.

    Even Jesus Christ Himself lived in complete submission to the Father’s will. He did not act independently of God’s purpose. He walked a path that led through suffering—His Passion, His crucifixion, and ultimately His resurrection. From a human perspective, it may have looked like tragedy or defeat. But in God’s plan, it was redemption.

    If Jesus, the Son, lived and served according to the Father’s will, how much more must we?

    We may not always understand why our plans are interrupted. We may not see the purpose behind sudden changes or painful circumstances. But we can trust that nothing is wasted in God’s hands.

    The priest who thought he was retiring found himself beginning anew. My sister who expected celebration found herself in a hospital. And in both stories, there is a common thread: God’s authority overrides our expectations.

    We do not serve at our own discretion.

    We serve at His.

    And in that truth, there is both surrender—and peace.

    Rick Herring
    thmjmj@gmail.com