Surrender Is the Key to Success

Independence. It’s an enticing concept, isn’t it? Our country is built on the idea of independence, and we’re constantly told that we should become independent with our money, our careers, and sometimes even in relationships.

As leaders, people often expect us to know everything and not rely heavily on others for support and counsel.

But what if this mindset is upside down?

For those who have given our lives to Jesus, we can implement the most power and wisdom when we surrender our independence and learn how to trust God completely.

When we choose to hold on to our own opinions, wisdom, and choices, we will hit the ceiling in our leadership. But, if we hold on to our independence, there’s only so much we can do.

Instead of independence, our goal should be more and more dependence. Surrender is the real key to success in the Kingdom.

I talked with one of our team members this week, and he confessed he had been losing sleep, waking up thinking about work, and struggling to focus during his quiet time.

Another friend confessed that he had been obsessing over several challenging work scenarios. One night, his wife actually said out loud, in her sleep, “Now, is that your problem to solve now?”

When we struggle to sleep or calm our minds, we may be holding on too tightly to control. See, God will let us choose our level of surrender. He is always ready to take the reins, but we need to offer them to Him.

My own surrender problem.

God has taught me a lot about surrendering my finances to Him.

I have shared before that greed is the thorn in my flesh. It’s the area that I used to struggle in continually. Years ago, God spoke to me about it and brought me through a healing process, but I still have to be very aware of my motives for my finances. As we begin a new year with dreams and plans for the future, those dreams and goals can have dollar signs attached to them and can take root in my heart if I’m not careful.

No matter our issue, we must continually come back to God and surrender everything to Him no matter our issue. Otherwise, we will constantly cap out our leadership and hit our heads on our self-imposed ceilings. I want all God has for me, and I don’t want to limit His work in any way. I believe you want that too.

Surrender is the key to removing the ceiling.

I believe the book of Joshua has a lot to say about leadership and spells out clearly how to be prosperous in what we do:

Study this Book of Instruction continually.

Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it.

Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.

Joshua 1:8 NLT

To be prosperous and successful, I try to be intentional in a few ways.

• Study the Word of God.

            I start my days in His Word. I listen to Bible audio while I do my cardio and

            write down Scriptures that stand out to me. I know I can’t function well without

            God’s direction and His Word is one of the ways He guides me. I am reminded

            that He has given me all I need to lead well in my family, with my friends, and as

            a businessperson.

• Meditate on God’s Word.

            I refer back to God’s Word to me throughout the day. This is a habit that I’ve had

            to develop. We can all become consumed in our work once our day gets going.

            So, I put note cards in my truck or set reminders in my calendar. It’s important to

            think back on what God said throughout the day. Joshua 1:8 says, “day and

            night,” so we should start, go throughout, and end our days by thinking and

            praying about the things God is showing us.

• Obey God.

This is where the “spiritual dependence” rubber meets the road. Without following His guidance and direction, we will never be the people or the leaders God wants us to be. In my experience, when I have walked forward in obedience, even when I don’t understand, God has always been faithful. When I look back, I see that obedience has brought us through some of the most challenging seasons in our business.

Surrender is not a bad word. Neither is dependence.

Letting your business consume you and become your identity puts a cap on your potential. Surrendering to God is the only way to remove it and move forward into all God has for you.

Where are you independent from God? What can you do to fix that?

And feel free to share this with someone struggling with their own surrender problem.