Place Your Life Before God
A few years ago, I flew into Tulum, Mexico, co-hosting a women’s retreat. It was meant to be a time of peace, growth, connection, and healing but one early morning, something happened that changed my perspective forever.
At 4:45 a.m., I felt something crawling on my chest. There was a crackling noise, which jolted me from my sleep. Instinctively, I panicked, grabbed "it," and threw it in the direction of my roommate’s bed.
I’m yelling, “get up! Some big ass bug bit me! Oh my gosh it hurts so bad!” My roommate scurried out of bed scrambling to our feet, we flicked on the light. That’s when we saw it—a scorpion.
Panic set in instantly. My heart raced as I realized the severity of the situation. My roommate ran downstairs to call for help, and I was left standing there, shaking, staring at the creature that had just stung me. My lips began to tingle. A strange numbness crept through my hands and feet. I thought to myself, *Is this how it ends? Am I going to die in a foreign country?*
We called a hospital, desperately seeking guidance. Their answer? Apparently, 9-1-1 doesn’t work!
My panic only intensified. My mind raced with worst-case scenarios, but then, in the midst of my fear, I heard a quiet yet unmistakable voice:
“Trust your body. It’s meant to heal itself.”
In that moment, I had no choice but to surrender—not just my fear, but my entire self. I had to place my life before God.
Romans 12: A Call to Surrender
When we think of surrendering to God, it’s easy to imagine big, dramatic gestures—selling everything we own, going on a mission trip, or making radical changes overnight. But Romans 12 reminds us that surrender isn’t just about the grand moments. It’s about taking our ordinary lives—the mundane, repetitive, and seemingly insignificant details—and offering them to God.
Surrendering everything to God is not easy. Trust me, I know. It’s hard to let go of control, especially when the stakes feel high. But that morning in Mexico, I had no other choice. My body was reacting to the venom, and I couldn’t do anything about it. All I could do was trust that God was with me, that He designed my body to heal, and that His plan for me would prevail.
What Does It Mean to Place Your Life Before God?
Surrendering to God doesn’t come naturally to most of us. Our culture teaches us to take control, strive for independence, and rely on our own strength. But God calls us to something deeper: dependence on Him.
Here are five practical steps to help you place your life before God:
1. Offer Your Ordinary Life
God isn’t just interested in your Sunday mornings or your “spiritual” activities. He wants your whole life—the sleeping, eating, working, walking-around parts. When we offer even the most ordinary aspects of our lives to Him, we invite Him to transform us from the inside out.
2. Embrace God’s Grace with Gratitude
One of the best ways to honor God is by recognizing and embracing what He’s already done for you. Instead of striving to earn His love, rest in the fact that His grace is a gift. Let gratitude guide your heart and actions.
3. Fix Your Attention on God
It’s so easy to get distracted by the culture around us. Without even realizing it, we start conforming to the world’s patterns—seeking approval, chasing success, or numbing our pain with temporary fixes. But Romans 12 urges us to fix our attention on God, allowing Him to renew our minds and transform our perspective.
4. Respond Quickly to God’s Promptings
Have you ever felt a nudge from God? Maybe it’s an idea, an opportunity, or a call to action. Instead of hesitating or second-guessing, respond quickly. Trust that God knows what He’s doing, even if you don’t understand it fully.
5. Live in Pure Grace
True surrender means releasing the need to prove yourself. Your worth isn’t defined by what you do for God but by what He has done for you. Let His grace be the foundation of your identity and the motivation for your actions.
The Sting of Distraction
As I sat there in Mexico, battling the symptoms of the scorpion sting, it hit me: this was a distraction. My role at that retreat was to help women feel safe, to guide them toward healing and connection with God. But the enemy loves to throw distractions our way—whether it’s fear, doubt, or unexpected challenges—to pull us away from our purpose.
It’s easy to let distractions derail us. But when we place our lives before God, we reclaim our focus. We remember why we’re here and who we’re living for.
That morning, I prayed a simple prayer of surrender: “God, I give You my fear. I give You my body. I trust You to heal me and guide me through this.”
The tingling in my lips, hands, and feet eventually subsided. My body began to recover, and I was able to continue serving the women at the retreat. But more importantly, I walked away with a renewed commitment to surrender every detail of my life to God.
Why Surrender Matters
When we surrender our lives to God, three powerful things happen:
1. God Recovers Our Past
Many of us carry wounds from our past—mistakes, regrets, and hurts that we can’t seem to shake. But when we place our lives before God, He takes those broken pieces and begins the work of recovery. He heals our hearts, restores our dignity, and redeems even our worst moments.
2. God Restores Our Present
Surrender isn’t just about the past; it’s about the here and now. When we invite God into our daily lives, we experience His presence in tangible ways. He gives us peace in the midst of chaos, strength in our weakness, and clarity in our confusion.
3. God Rewires Our Future
True surrender allows God to shape our future according to His perfect plan. He rewires our priorities, aligns our desires with His, and equips us for the purpose He’s called us to.
A Life of Surrender
Surrendering to God is not a one-time decision; it’s a daily practice. Every morning, we have the opportunity to offer our lives to Him again—to trust Him with our fears, hopes, and dreams.
For me, that scorpion sting was a wake-up call. It reminded me that I’m not in control, but I know the One who is. And that’s enough.
If you’re feeling distracted, overwhelmed, or unsure of what’s next, I encourage you to surrender. Place your life before God and watch as He recovers your past, restores your present, and rewires your future.
At the retreat, I realized that my role is to be a bridge—a bridge for people who feel rejected by the world and are searching for an infinite love that only God can provide. My calling is to bring people to Jesus, to create a safe space where they can encounter His grace and truth.
Sometimes, the distractions of life threaten to pull us away from our calling. But when we surrender those distractions to God, we find clarity, purpose, and peace.
So today, I challenge you to take a step of faith. Whatever you’re holding onto—fear, control, doubt—let it go. Place your life before God and trust Him to lead you.
And remember, surrender isn’t a sign of weakness; it’s a declaration of trust. It’s saying, “God, I trust You more than I trust myself.”
Cheers to a life of surrender,
Tiffany