The Summer of Brave #4 – A Brave Surrender: Don’t Worry About What Everyone Else Thinks
“God wants us to learn how to accept every unexpected event as an invitation to trust Him.”
Have you ever wanted to say a brave yes to God but worried about what people around you might think?
I remember when God’s call came to me to co-chair the Just Give Me Jesus Revival in Toronto with Anne Graham Lotz. Over 15,000 people would fill the Air Canada Centre and experience the life-giving message of the gospel. I felt like the least likely girl and was sure God was mistaken in asking me. Yet I knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that I was to step out in faith and lead. Not everyone agreed. There was some surprise and I am sure a few backroom conversations about why God would choose someone that wasn’t an upfront and clearly visible leader, surrounded by all the right people in the Christian community.
I wonder if Mary felt the same. When the angel came to her, announcing that she would become the mother of God’s son, her first response was: “Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.” (Luke 1:28)
I am sure she was wondering why God wouldn’t have arranged that first, she marry Joseph and then she could become pregnant, in that order. Rather, she was being asked to carry the son of God in her womb, before marriage, with scandal written all over her story. Was she wondering if Joseph would change his mind and how she would manage as an unwed, ostracized, mother? Yet by the end of her conversation with the voice of God, she ends up in full, brave surrender. “I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May your word to me be fulfilled." (Luke 1:38)
Do you ever remind God that He might have it wrong when He is asking you to bravely surrender your plans and submit to His unexpected call? Why is surrendering so hard?
We don’t believe the messenger.
Maybe when the call comes, we aren’t sure it’s God’s voice. Maybe we expect His voice to sound a certain way.
We tend to be fearful of anything we don’t understand.
The God of the Bible called the most unlikely heroines in the most unexpected ways to play starring roles in {His}story. He likes to mess with our lives and turn them upside down, to challenge our beliefs and see Him for who He is, not who we have made Him to be.
He often speaks to us when we least expect it and when it’s most inconvenient.
We don’t believe the message.
For God to speak a dream or a reality into our hearts about something that we would never imagine could come as a shock. Most of us aren’t ready to let go of our preconceived plan of what our life will look like or the deep attachments we have to our possessions and identity. Mary had to surrender her neat little plan of marrying Joseph and building their ordinary life together. No wonder she asked, “How will this be since I am a virgin?”
When God’s voice doesn’t make sense,especially when it doesn’t make sense, our bravest response is surrender.
We don’t believe the message is meant for us.
We are busy girls. Even in the midst of a pandemic we are busy making vacation plans, ministry plans, birthday celebration plans…all kinds of plans in our ordinary lives. Then God comes along and flips everything to suit His heavenly agenda. And nothing will ever be the same. We think He got the wrong girl, the wrong time, the wrong place. Mary said yes to a radical disruption of her reputation as she knew it. She was saying yes to a new identity and a new purpose.
God will always choose His purpose over our agenda.
Luke 1:45 says, “Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill His promises to her!”
Will you believe that the Lord will fulfill His promises to you? Surrender the outcome. Submit to the process and God’s perfect purpose. Don’t worry about what everyone else thinks.
Surrender to God’s plan is the ultimate act of bravery.
I believe in you!
Cathie