5 January 2025: Surrender

Matthew 11:28
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

Life can feel overwhelming. The constant demands of work, family, and personal struggles often leave us exhausted. We carry stress, worries, and fears, believing we must handle everything on our own. But the truth is, we were never meant to bear these burdens alone.

I vividly remember a season in my life when I was drowning in anxiety. The weight of expectations, responsibilities, and unanswered prayers pressed heavily on my shoulders. I kept pushing myself, convinced that if I just worked harder, prayed longer, or worried enough, I could fix everything. But instead of finding solutions, I found myself spiralling into deeper exhaustion and discouragement.

One night, after a particularly difficult day, I reached my breaking point. With tears streaming down my face, I knelt in prayer and whispered, “Lord, I can’t do this anymore. I give it to You.” At that moment, something incredible happened. I didn’t receive an immediate solution to my problems, but I felt a wave of peace wash over me—a peace that made no sense given my circumstances. It was as if God was saying, “Finally. Now let Me carry this for you.”

Surrender isn’t about giving up; it’s about giving over. It’s choosing to place our burdens into the hands of the One who is strong enough to carry them. So often, we cling to control because we fear what will happen if we let go. But Jesus invites us to release it all—our worries, our fears, our plans—and trust that He is more than capable of handling everything.

What burden are you carrying today? Is it a financial worry? A relationship struggle? A dream that seems out of reach? Whatever it is, Jesus is calling you to lay it at His feet. He doesn’t ask us to figure everything out—He simply asks us to trust Him. And when we do, we exchange our heaviness for His peace, our exhaustion for His rest.

This January, make the choice to surrender. Instead of carrying everything alone, hand it over to God. Because in His presence, you’ll find the rest your soul has been longing for.

Lord, I lay my burdens at Your feet. Teach me to trust You fully, to let go of control, and to rest in Your perfect peace. Amen.